Feb 20, 2022: According to a report by Reuters, Donald Trump’s new social media venture, Truth Social, appears set to launch in Apple’s App Store on Monday, according to posts from an executive, potentially marking the return of the former president to social media on the US Presidents Day holiday.
An executive on the team developing the app said, “We’re currently set for release in the Apple App store for Monday Feb. 21.”
In a series of late-Friday posts, a verified account for the network’s chief product officer, listed as Billy B, answers questions from people invited to use it during the trial phase. According to screenshots seen by Reuters, a user asked him when the app, which is available for beta testers this week, would be released to the public.
The app is now at level 1.0 which is an indicator that it is now ready for public use.
The launch will restore Trump’s presence on social media more than a year after he was attacked by his supporters on the U.S Capital on January 6, 2021. Twitter Inc., Facebook and Alphabet Inc banned him when he was accused of posting messages calling for violence in the aftermath of the presidential election.
Led by former Republican U.S. Representative Devin Nunes, the Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), which is behind Truth Social, will join a growing portfolio of technology companies that have established themselves as champions of free speech. They hope to draw users who feel their views are suppressed on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
So far though, none of the rivals have been able to make a dent in the popularity of their rivals like twitter.
A list of Apple’s App Store indicates that Truth Social is expected to be released on February 21, a date confirmed by a source familiar with the plan in January. But in recent weeks, Nunes has publicly stated that the app will be launched by the end of March. On Friday, Nunes was on the app, urging users to follow more accounts, share photos and videos, and participate in conversations, according to one person familiar with the matter, to speed up the activity.
In Nunes’ posts, he welcomed a new user who appears to be a Catholic priest and encouraged him to invite more pastors to join, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The chief product officer indicated the app would resemble twitter and will later launch a DM feature. The company is also considering allowing users to sign up to receive notifications when others post content, the executive said. He signaled that the ability to block other users would be an important component. Whereas, the verified accounts feature will in the future be explored by the company.
The company TMTG is planning to list in New York through a merger with blank-check firm Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC), and stands to receive $293 million in cash that DWAC holds in a trust, assuming no DWAC shareholder redeems their shares, TMTG said in an Oct. 21 press release.
In addition, TMTG raised $ 1 billion in committed financing from private investors in December. That amount will not be available until the DWAC agreement is terminated.
According to a regulatory filing, the activities of Digital World have come under scrutiny by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the US Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and is likely months away from closing.
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