Sen. Mark Warner introduces bill to restrict social media from selling “early access” to official posts after Truth API launch

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., introduced legislation on Monday aimed at blocking social media companies from selling expedited access to posts by government officials, after President Donald Trump’s media company launched an API that Warner and other critics say can be used to obtain “most market-moving” updates before the general public.

Warner’s proposal targets arrangements in which platforms provide select customers with advance or faster access to content through application programming interfaces (APIs) or related feeds, according to The Hill. The bill would limit those services when the content involves official government communications and when the expedited access is offered or priced in a way that can be used for trading or other time-sensitive activity.

The measure comes after Trump’s media company rolled out “Truth API” over the weekend, a service The Hill describes as granting Wall Street firms advance access to Truth Social’s “most market-moving” posts. Warner’s bill frames the problem as one of unfair timing and potential market-related harm, saying the expedited access could make government-related announcements available to paying customers ahead of ordinary users.

The bill also reflects a broader congressional debate about the regulation of platform APIs and the information markets can create, including questions about who gets to see public communications first and under what commercial terms. In this case, Warner’s proposal is focused on content posted by government officials, rather than general platform features, and seeks to cabin the circumstances under which platforms can offer premium or expedited distribution for official communications.

Supporters of the legislation argue that limiting such expedited access would improve fairness in how the public receives government information. Opponents cited in coverage of the broader issue have previously argued that platforms have contractual freedom and that restricting APIs could interfere with the way companies distribute and monetize data streams.

If enacted, the measure would set a compliance obligation for social media companies and other operators of APIs that distribute content from government officials, and it would establish a federal policy baseline for what kinds of expedited access arrangements are permitted. Enforcement details were not specified in The Hill’s report, and the bill’s procedural path in the Senate would determine how quickly the proposal could move to committee consideration, a potential floor vote, and any companion measures in the House.

Warner’s filing also positions the legislation as an immediate response to the Truth API rollout, with lawmakers using the launch as a test case for how quickly Congress could act on new platform capabilities. Lawmakers would still need to define the covered conduct, determine the scope of “official posts” and “expedited access,” and address how the law interacts with existing authorities over securities markets, consumer protection, and communications technology.