Truth Social, the social media platform founded by former President Donald Trump under Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), has been approved on the Google Play Store after months of back-and-forth pertaining to the app’s content moderation plans, and it can now be downloaded and accessed across all devices in the United States.
“It’s been a pleasure to work with Google, and we’re glad they helped us to finally bring Truth Social to all Americans, regardless of what device they use,” Devin Nunes, CEO of TMTG, said in a news release. “Today marks a significant milestone in our mission to restore free speech online.”
The app was created after Trump was permanently suspended from Twitter following the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol.
Truth Social has been accessible to Apple users since February, but Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company, had restricted the app citing a policy that required the app to have protocols to moderate content. “Having effective systems for moderating user-generated content is a condition of our terms of service for any app to go live on Google Play,” the company said in a statement on Aug. 30.
TMTG replied that it was working on getting Google’s approval without “compromising our promise to be a haven for free speech.”
Android users, who make up 44 percent of smartphone users in the United States, had to resort to the web version of the service or download the app from third-party websites, which required additional security permissions. Gaining access to the Google Play Store is expected to increase the app’s popularity.
Shares Rise Following Approval
The shares of Digital World Acquisition Corp. (DWAC), a special purpose acquisition company aiming to buy TMTG, spiked more than 12 percent before settling at a 6-percent rise following the announcement. The shares peaked at nearly $18 during Wednesday’s after-hours trading.
TMTG is waiting to be publicly listed after the merger with DWAC but the move has been delayed due to a federal investigation based on allegations that executives from both companies had already reached a merger agreement before they had legal permission, Forbes reported.
DWAC shareholders have been requested to postpone a Dec. 8 merger deadline by about a year. A failure to extend the deadline could force the company to liquidate. The shell company needs about 65 percent of shareholders to agree to the extension, and a meeting regarding the issue will take place on Nov. 3.
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