The former US president plans to launch a platform called Truth Social, as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube uphold their bans on his accounts.
ADVERTISEMENTDonald Trump has announced the launch of his own social network after being banned in January from Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
The tech giants banned him after the January 6 riot at the Capitol building, which he was accused of encouraging using his social media platforms.
Announcing the upcoming launch of the new platform Truth Social, the former president said on Wednesday: "We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter while your favorite American president has been silenced. This is unacceptable.”
He continued in a statement that he wants to "stand up to the tyranny of the tech giants" who have "used their unilateral power to silence dissenting voices in America”.
The platform will be owned by the newly formed Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), a structure that will also provide a video-on-demand service and "non-woke" podcasts, the statement said.
Even without Twitter, the Republican billionaire has quickly returned to the campaign trail since leaving the White House.
From meetings to communiqués, he supports the candidates who are loyal to him in view of the key mid-term elections in November 2022, with one eye turned towards 2024.
Banned by the tech giants
Trump was banned from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube after his supporters violently stormed the Capitol during the certification ceremony for Democrat Joe Biden's presidential election victory on 6 January.
Five people died during or shortly after the attack, including a police officer.
Twitter then banned Donald Trump "indefinitely because of the risk of further incitement to violence", cutting him off from his nearly 89 million followers.
Furious at no longer having access to his favourite megaphone, where he had campaigned in 2016, announced a number of major presidential decisions as well as thunderous dismissals, the former president had promised to create a social network.
He briefly launched a blog in May, which was in fact a tab on his website where his press releases were collected, before ending it under the mockery of observers convinced that it was the promised social network.
Truth Social will be available as an invitation-only beta from November 2021, before a general launch in the first quarter of 2022, the statement said, noting that the app is already available for pre-order on the App Store.
"I'm excited to start sharing my ideas on Truth Social soon," said Trump, who also had 35 million followers on Facebook and 24 million on Instagram before he was banned.