Trump’s new app

By Aryaman Bhatia, Science and Tech Editor, The Pawprint 

Truth Social, Donald Trump’s social media platform, has debuted in a limited capacity on the Apple App Store in the United States.

Commentators compared the app to Twitter, noting that Mr. Trump was banned from Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube last year.

In addition, several early customers experienced trouble registering accounts.

Devin Nunes, the project’s leader, and a former congressman stated that it was expected to be completely operational by the end of March.

According to the Reuters news agency, some of those attempting to register were told, “Due to tremendous demand, we have placed you on our queue.”

Truth Social, developed by the year-old Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), had previously been made accessible to around 500 beta testers.

According to the App Store, Truth Social has already received one update for “bug fixes,” and is presently at version 1.0.1.

According to the Washington Post, pranksters found a beta version of the app online last autumn and acquired the identity of Donald Trump.

Following the 6 January 2021 US Capitol riot, Twitter banned the former president, claiming he violated its rules on the promotion of violence.

Commentators have also pointed out Truth Social buttons that are similar to those associated with Twitter’s respond, retweet, and “like” capabilities.

Truth Social touts itself on its website as a “‘big tent’ social-media platform that supports an open, free, and honest global dialogue without regard for political ideology.”

Mr. Trump wants Truth Social to advocate “free speech” and reject the “restriction” of social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

Conservatives believe that Silicon Valley social-media corporations are restricting free expression by eliminating content and users.

“We cannot employ any of the large IT corporations,” Mr. Nunes, who left Congress in December to become CEO of TMTG, told the conservative Newsmax network.

“As a result, we’re starting from scratch.”

Truth Social, according to Mr. Nunes, will be a “censorship-free experience.”

However, any social media site on the App Store or Google Play must delete information that violates the regulations.

And a really unfiltered platform would be quickly shut down.

However, none of the other censorship-free alternative platforms, such as Gettr, Parler, Gab, and Rumble, have gained audiences similar to those of the major social networks.

According to Darrell West, a senior digital innovation scholar at the Brookings Institution, companies like Twitter “have had years to establish their platforms and expand their audiences.”

“I simply think he’ll find out it’s a lot harder than he realizes,” he remarked.

“If it was simple, I think he’d have done it six months ago.”

Mr Trump’s longtime adviser and spokesperson Jason Miller established Gettr, which likewise encourages “free expression” and looks like Twitter, last year.

“There isn’t a dummies’ handbook to developing a social-media platform,” he told BBC News.

Truth Social will also need to be resistant to hackers.

“We have a lot of individuals who don’t want us to succeed, including foreign countries and other evil actors,” Mr Nunes added.