Former President Donald Trump will soon be launching his own social media platform called TRUTH Social after being banned from Twitter and other social media sites. In a statement on Wednesday (Oct. 20), the Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) announced that it has merged with Digital World Acquisition Corp. to become a publicly listed company, which Trump will head as chairman.
“I created TRUTH Social and TMTG to stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech. We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favorite American President has been silenced,” Trump said in the statement. “This is unacceptable. I am excited to send out my first TRUTH on TRUTH Social very soon.”
He added, “TMTG was founded with a mission to give a voice to all… Everyone asks me why doesn’t someone stand up to Big Tech? Well, we will be soon!”
In the statement, Trump Media & Technology Group said its mission was to “create a rival to the liberal media consortium and fight back against the ‘Big Tech’ companies of Silicon Valley, which have used their unilateral power to silence opposing voices in America.”
According to the announcement, TRUTH Social will be available as a beta trial version for “invited guests” next month. Users will be able to access the platform via an app on the Apple Store and it will become available for everyone to use within the first three months of 2022, the company said.
A website inviting people to sign up for the beta trial described TRUTH Social as “America’s ‘Big Tent’ social media platform that encourages an open, free and honest global conversation without discriminating against political ideology.”
Along with the social media platform, Trump Media and Technology Group also plans to launch its own video-on-demand service called TMTG+, which will feature “non-woke” content.
Trump was banned from Twitter, Facebook and YouTube after his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in a deadly riot on Jan. 6. The former president’s Facebook ban will be in place until at least 2023. Meanwhile, Twitter permanently banned Trump from the platform and YouTube said he could return once the “risk of violence” decreased.