Trump's Paid Early Access on Truth Social Sparks Outcry

On a quiet Friday, a new product listing turned into a political lightning rod. Truth Social's parent company quietly unveiled a paid data feed that lets high-paying subscribers see certain posts before the public does. The price listed? Up to about €93,000 per month for priority access.

Pay to peek: a VIP feed for markets?

It is called Truth API, according to Kevin McGurn, the interim CEO of the platform. The pitch is simple and precise: deliver the most influential posts to businesses and trading firms in near real time. For hedge funds and tech-savvy customers, speed is everything. A few seconds of advance notice can mean millions. Who would not notice that arrangement and raise an eyebrow?

Critics have been blunt. They call the service a clear conflict of interest and a potential tool for market manipulation. Why? Because the platform's most prominent voice is Donald Trump, whose account counts roughly 13 million followers and has been used in the past to announce moves that rippled through markets, from tariff signals to tense foreign-policy remarks. When those messages land early with the right buyers, ordinary investors are left to follow.

There is also context in the numbers. Shares of Trump Media and Technology Group have plunged more than 70 percent since the company began its public life under Trump. That collapse erased the equivalent of about €5.6 billion in shareholder value. Still, the stock ticked up the day before the new service launched, gaining 5.5 percent to reach around €9.66 per share, a reminder that headlines and new revenue ideas can sway sentiment, at least temporarily.

This is not purely theoretical. Regulators and market-watchers have long worried about selective disclosure. Is a paid feed that privileges speed any different from leaking a press release to a favored outlet? The legal lines are messy. The ethical lines are not.

For Truth Social, the move is also strategic. Monetization has been elusive for many alternative social platforms. A subscription API aimed at corporate customers promises a direct revenue stream. But when the product centers on the president's posts, commercial strategy collides with public responsibility. That collision is what critics and lawmakers are likely to focus on next.

Expect debate. Expect scrutiny. And expect the platform to frame this as a product for businesses, not a political favor. Whether the market and the regulators will see it the same way is another story entirely.