Explained: Why is Trump launching his own social media platform and how will it work?

More than a 12 months after he turned into banned from certainly each most important social media platform, former US President Donald Trump is about to release his very own social media app soon — Truth Social. Weeks in advance of the brand new app’s predicted launch date, Trump kicked matters off with a typically hyperbolic put up: “Get ready! Your favored president will see you soon.”

When Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr, shared a screenshot of the previous president’s first put up on Twitter in advance this week, one component stood out — the interface bore a putting resemblance to that of Twitter.

When Trump first introduced the app in October final 12 months, he stated that the purpose turned into to create a rival for the Big Tech corporations like Facebook and Twitter, which had silenced him following the assault at the US Capitol constructing with the aid of using a number of his supporters final 12 months.

So, why is Trump launching his very own social media platform?

After his social media handles have been suspended, Trump basically declared battle on Big Tech. In a announcement launched final 12 months, the president introduced that he turned into launching his very own social media platform to arise to the “tyranny of the tech giants” who have “used their unilateral energy to silence dissenting voices in America”.

Developed with the aid of using the Trump Media & Technology Group, the platform says it seeks to sell open and unfastened conversation. The new platform comes at a time while the proper-wing social media panorama withinside the US is hastily expanding, with Twitter options like Parler, Gab and GETTR speedy gaining prominence.

Like with Parler, Trump’s new platform is possibly to draw a lot of his supporters, numerous of whom are satisfied that Joe Biden’s victory withinside the 2020 US elections turned into the end result of electoral fraud. Trump has additionally been vocal approximately his choice to run for president yet again in 2024. If that happens, Truth Social is possibly to be his platform of preference to talk together along with his supporters.

During his tenure as president, Trump racked up over 20,000 tweets — the use of the microblogging webweb page as a manner of bypassing conventional media.

How does Truth Social work?

The app’s builders have stated that the platform will observe a ‘Big Tent’ approach. Its description on Apple’s App Store reads: “Think of a large out of doors occasion tent at your fine friend’s wedding. Who’s there? The mixture of more than one households from everywhere in the United States, and the world.”

The posts, a good way to be acknowledged as ‘truths’, appearance nearly precisely like tweets, with buttons to reply, percentage and prefer proper underneath. The app permits customers to observe different humans and trending topics. According to screenshots of Trump’s account at the social media webweb page, he joined on February 10 and already has approximately a hundred seventy five followers.

The Beta model of the app turned into launched in December final 12 months, with some humans granted early access. The app turned into in advance intended to be launched on February 21, americaA Presidents Day, however its release turned into later driven to March, TIME reported.

At the moment, the app isn’t to be had at the App Store in India. It continues to be uncertain whether or not it will likely be restricted to US citizens only.

Initial hurdles

Soon after Trump introduced the platform final 12 months, numerous trolls signed up for the beta model and have been capable of installation faux Trump bills that they used to percentage memes.

The platform has additionally needed to address a few licensing issues. Powered with the aid of using an open-supply software program referred to as Mastodon, the platform violated the software program’s coverage with the aid of using failing to offer it credit score everywhere at the webweb page, Mashable reported. The trouble turned into later resolved.

Why turned into Trump banned from Twitter and Facebook withinside the first place?

A day after a mob of indignant and armed Trump supporters stormed Capitol Hill in Washington DC on January 6 final 12 months, Facebook introduced that it’s going to block Trump from all its platforms. Soon after, Twitter accompanied suit.

In a Facebook put up, Mark Zuckerberg, the tech large’s CEO, had stated that “we trust the dangers of permitting the President to retain to apply our carrier all through this era are clearly too great. Therefore, we’re extending the block we’ve positioned on his Facebook and Instagram bills indefinitely…”.