The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation sued President Donald Trump and several White House officials on Wednesday over Truth Social’s new paid API, arguing it creates a $100,000-a-month fast lane to official government information.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Manhattan, centers on “Truth API,” a new Trump Media service that provides subscribers with real-time access to posts from Trump and other prominent accounts on the social platform.

The plaintiffs argue the arrangement gives customers who can afford the service faster access to information from the president and other government officials than journalists and the general public.

“President Donald Trump is charging $100,000 per month for advance access to his official government announcements on Truth Social, the social media platform he owns,” the complaint alleges. “This scheme is extraordinary, corrupt and unconstitutional.”

Truth API launched on Aug. 1 and costs $100,000 per month, per the complaint. Customers can also sign a three-year contract at $60,000 per month.

The service includes posts from Trump, the White House, Vice President JD Vance, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, FBI Director Kash Patel, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., among other officials.

Trump Media has promoted speed as a key selling point of the service. The complaint cites CEO Kevin McGurn saying “markets already move on Truth Social posts” and that Truth API gives subscribers access to the platform’s “most market-moving” content.

That difference could be particularly valuable to financial firms seeking to react quickly to statements from Trump about tariffs, government policy or individual companies, the plaintiffs argue.

McGurn said during an Aug. 10 earnings call that more than 10 customers had already subscribed to Truth API at prices ranging from $60,000 to $100,000 per month, according to the lawsuit.

But The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation argue the service raises a broader issue for the media: whether the president and his administration can use a privately owned social platform to distribute official government information while the company sells faster access to those communications.

The Intercept said access to Truth Social has become an important part of its reporting on the Trump administration. The news organization has referenced the platform in more than 800 articles, according to the complaint. The Freedom of the Press Foundation, meanwhile, maintains a database tracking Trump’s social media attacks on journalists and news organizations; it currently relies on a third-party scraping service to collect Trump’s Truth Social posts, including posts that are subsequently edited or deleted.

The complaint further alleges Trump Media has indicated that it plans to restrict third-party scraping of Truth Social, potentially making it harder for journalists, researchers and organizations to independently collect posts from the platform. The plaintiffs argue those restrictions, combined with Truth API, could leave news organizations with a choice between paying tens of thousands of dollars per month or receiving official information later than paying customers.

The lawsuit also points to Trump’s financial ties to Trump Media. Before returning to the White House, Trump transferred his shares in the company to a trust controlled by his son Donald Trump Jr., according to the complaint. Trump remains the trust’s sole beneficiary, the plaintiffs allege.

Trump Media is not itself a defendant in the case. The lawsuit instead names Trump in his official capacity, along with Scavino, Trump executive assistant Natalie Harp, the Executive Office of the President and the White House Office.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare unconstitutional the practice of posting official government information exclusively to Truth Social while the platform provides preferential access to paying customers. They are also seeking an injunction barring Trump and the other defendants from continuing the practice.

The White House and Trump Media did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s requests for comment.

It’s not everyday you see executives of the caliber of Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and Paramount TV Media Chair George Cheeks give quotes for licensing deal extensions on a 37-year-old show. Then, Seinfeld is not just any show.

Series distributor Sony Pictures Television has renewed its licensing agreements with Netflix and Paramount. Netflix will continue as the global SVOD home for all 180 episodes for the next five years, exclusively in the U.S. and Canada, while Paramount has extended its exclusive basic cable rights in the U.S. for three years across Comedy Central, TV Land and other Paramount cable networks.

The renewals come as Netflix’s and then-Viacom’s original five-year deals for Seinfeld were about to expire on Oct. 1. Both come with changes in the original terms.

Netflix’s original pact was exclusive globally. While Seinfeld will continue to be on the platform around the world, it will only be exclusive in U.S. and Canada. Very New York-focused by design, the sitcom created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David has always had outsized popularity in the U.S. vs the rest of the world.

In 2019, Netflix stepped up to nab Seinfeld rights after losing two other popular NBC comedy series, Friends and The Office, which had become among the streamer’s top draws before their studios, Warner Bros. and NBCUniversal, respectively, held them back to jump-start their own streaming platforms, HBO Max and Peacock.

The original Netflix five-year deal for Seinfeld, done in a frothy streaming rights market, was estimated to be in the $500 million range. The price tag on the new pact is said to be lower, but Sony TV also has non-exclusive international streaming rights it can monetize.

Citing Nielsen reach data, Sony says that nearly 60 million Americans — approximately 20% of the U.S. population — watched at least one minute of Seinfeld during the first half of 2026.

On Netflix’s most recent What We Watched semi-annual report, the comedy’s eight seasons each averaged between 3M (Season 1) and 3.5 (Season 6) globally from January – June 2026.

“The show famously about nothing is in fact, everything, and we’re proud to be the streaming home of Seinfeld, one of the greatest comedies in the history of TV,” said Sarandos, who was very involved in originally bringing the series to Netflix and also was quoted in the announcement of the first licensing deal.

Paramount’s new three-year basic cable deal is shorter than the five-year one it succeeds.

According to Nielsen Live+Same Day data, Seinfeld is Comedy Central’s #1 acquired off-network series and TV Land’s #2 program among Adults 25–54.

“As one of the most influential and enduring comedies in television history, Seinfeld continues to resonate with audiences across generations, and we’re proud that Paramount will remain its exclusive cable home,” said Cheeks. “Iconic franchises like Seinfeld are foundational to our programming strategy, and this renewal reinforces our commitment to delivering fan-favorite series that audiences love.”

In addition to cable and streaming, Seinfeld also remains in U.S. broadcast syndication, going through multiple cycles since its 1995 debut on local stations.
 
“Seinfeld is one of the most iconic and enduring series in television history, and we’re thrilled to continue our successful partnerships with both Netflix and Paramount to bring this remarkable series to audiences around the world,” said Keith Le Goy, Chairman, Sony Pictures Television. “Seinfeld demonstrates that exceptional intellectual property stands the test of time. The show’s timeless humor, unforgettable characters, and multigenerational appeal continue to create tremendous value for our partners while introducing one of television’s greatest comedies to new generations of fans.”

What are the entertainment offerings that consumers are most excited about? It’s a question that marketers, distributors, advertisers and media publications are always asking.

ScreenShare, a data partnership between Screen Engine/ASI and TheWrap, tracks the Top 10 most-mentioned entertainment options every week and whether each has gained or lost momentum compared to the prior week. The chart lives on the Data & Analysis page of the WrapPRO Members Hub.

For the week of Aug. 1–7, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” remained the leader in entertainment mentions, climbing to 12.1% as the film continued its record-breaking run into its second weekend. “The Odyssey” held second place at 5.4% of total mentions. “NFL Football” rounded out the top three at 3.8%, with excitement building ahead of the preseason opener on August 13.

“House of the Dragon” (2.9%) rose on anticipation for its 75-minute season finale on Aug. 9. “Grand Theft Auto VI” accounted for 2.9% of mentions despite a slight week-over-week decline, as Rockstar Games and Netflix announced an exclusive “Extended Look” special premiering Aug. 27 ahead of the game’s November 19 launch. “Avengers: Doomsday” followed closely at 2.8%, down slightly after Comic-Con trailer buzz cooled ahead of its Dec. 18 theatrical release.

“Toy Story 5” ticked up to 2.6% as it continued its theatrical run ahead of its expected premium video-on-demand release later this month. “Stranger Things” climbed to 1.6%, likely driven by news that stars Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour will reunite for a new Netflix spy drama. “Supergirl” entered the Top 10 at 1.3%, boosted by its late-July digital home release. “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” closed out the Top 10 at 1.2%, ahead of the new prequel’s Nov. 20 release.