The Intercept and the nonprofit Freedom of the Press Foundation have filed a federal lawsuit against US President Donald Trump, seeking to stop his social media company from charging users for advance access to his posts on Truth Social.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court, argues that the subscription service could restrict public and media access to government information of significant public interest.
The service, known as Truth API, was announced in July and launched on August 1. It reportedly charges between $60,000 and $100,000 per month for real-time access to posts by Trump and other prominent Truth Social accounts.
According to the complaint, more than 10 customers had subscribed to the service as of August 10.
The plaintiffs argue that Trump could personally benefit financially from providing paying customers with early access to potentially market-moving government information. They also claim the arrangement raises constitutional concerns involving freedom of the press and access to presidential announcements.
The lawsuit names Trump in his official capacity, along with White House aide Natalie Harp and Deputy Chief of Staff Daniel Scavino.
Critics have highlighted Trump's use of Truth Social to announce policy decisions and comments that can influence financial markets. His statements about the US-Israel war with Iran, for example, have previously affected global oil markets.
Trump is the largest shareholder in Trump Media and Technology Group, the company behind Truth Social, with his stake currently valued at roughly $1 billion.
Trump Media defended the service, saying presidential communications are already distributed through numerous platforms and news organisations, some of which provide subscription-based application programming interfaces.
The White House has not publicly commented on the lawsuit. The case is expected to be heard in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.
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