Trump's New Free Speech Platform Already Has An Awkward Flaw

Donald Trump on Thursday announced his upcoming social media platform, which he vowed would allow free speech after he was banned from major websites following the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection carried out by his supporters.

But the rules for TruthSocial.com are already online and there’s an ironic flaw built in. The website, “founded with a mission to give a voice to all,” forbids anyone from criticizing the site or those behind it, presumably including the former president.

The terms of service include an agreement not to “disparage, tarnish, or otherwise harm, in our opinion, us and/or the Site,” as Brad Heath of Reuters noted on Twitter.

It also bans “excessive use of capital letters,” which may come as a surprise to those who recall Trump’s often caps-riddled tweets.

Those aren’t the site’s only issues. Some people, who found a way to access the site, created accounts and logged in, joining under names such as “Donald Trump” and “Mike Pence” before the features were locked.

Trump’s critics were quick to offer some free speech of their own in response:

Trump announcing that his new media platform will be called TRUTH is the death of irony.

— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) October 21, 2021

Man banned from pet shop to open competing pet shop with one turtle.

— Schooley (@Rschooley) October 21, 2021

The idea Trump’s new venture is designed not only to compete with Twitter/FB but also take on Netflix/Disney+ is laughable. The investment in staff, server farms and original content creation would be massive.

Trump isn’t going to do that.

— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) October 21, 2021

Trumps new social media platform is called #Pravda! (In the Original Russian) https://t.co/RyDYZpqjCP

— Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) October 21, 2021

Was just able to setup an account using the handle @donaldtrump on 'Truth Social,' former President Donald Trump's new social media website.

Although the site is not officially open, a URL was discovered allowing users to sign up anyway. pic.twitter.com/MRMQzjNhma

— Mikael Thalen (@MikaelThalen) October 21, 2021

Thank you TRUTH Social. Good to be here pic.twitter.com/tD3ClXWCss

— Drew Harwell (@drewharwell) October 21, 2021

The first to join will be FBI agents, getting the good seats to watch white nationalists gather and plan https://t.co/VfsDpO2YZ6

— rabia O'chaudry (@rabiasquared) October 21, 2021

Looks like the Donald J Trump account on Trump's new social media platform has been comprised already pic.twitter.com/UywtKga1Tr

— Claire Goforth (@clairenjax) October 21, 2021

so many hilarious possible ways to fail, I say immediate data breach followed by pedophile invasion capped off by nazi flame war https://t.co/itxQHOontg

— kilgore trout, defective towel (@KT_So_It_Goes) October 21, 2021

Securities regulators are going to have a field day with this. https://t.co/pYtjvOEBlS

— Pé (@4everNeverTrump) October 21, 2021

Outrageous censorship pic.twitter.com/6deIbErTac

— Quinta Jurecic (@qjurecic) October 21, 2021

The terms of service on Trump's new social network say... he can kick you off for any reason at all. Whatever happened to freedom? 😉 https://t.co/eqoJQeEZXFpic.twitter.com/DCrFOg5EEm

— Mike Masnick (@mmasnick) October 21, 2021

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.