Donald Trump's new social media app, Truth Social, hit by errors on launch

Donald Trump’s new social media network, Truth Social, got off to a rocky start on its launch day, with some users being unable to register and others receiving error messages. Trump Media & Technology Group, which aims to take on big tech companies with offerings from social media to streaming, launched Truth Social to give the former U.S. President a platform after he was banned from Twitter and Facebook. 

The Truth Social app, launched on Presidents’ Day and which has been reported to be tested since December, is also telling users there is a lengthy waiting list to sign up. 

Donald Trump's new social media app started a gradual rollout late February 21st and should be "fully operational" by late March, potentially raising the former president's profile more than a year after he was banned by major platforms.

Rumble, which is seen as a right-wing alternative to Google’s YouTube, is providing technology and cloud services to Trump Media & Technology Group. Rumble’s investors include well-known conservative venture capitalists JD Vance and Peter Thiel. Vance, author of the memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” is also a Republican candidate for Senate in Ohio.

In October, Trump announced a plan to merge his media company with a blank-check company called Digital World Acquisition Corp., in a bid to help him regain a social media presence. 

Truth Social is available only on Apple Inc.’s iOS, with users in countries such as the U.K. being told the app is not available in their region. 

The app’s logo also caught the attention of Trailar, a small U.K.-based sustainable transport company, which told Bloomberg it’s investigating the similarities between Truth Social’s branding and its own.

“We are now seeking legal advice to understand next steps and options available to protect our brand,” a spokesperson for the British company said via email. “Trailar has no affiliation or connection with the Truth Social network site.”

Trump has described Truth Social as an alternative to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, all of which banned him following the assault on the US Capitol by his supporters on January 6, 2021. The former president has been accused of inciting his followers to use force in a bid to overturn the result of the 2020 election.

(With AFP inputs)