Kanye West to Buy Right-Wing Social Platform Parler Amid Racist, Anti-Semitic Remarks
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Grammy winner Kanye West is confirmed to be purchasing conservative social media platform Parler.
The parent company for the platform, Parlement Technologies, confirmed that the star is currently in talks to take over the app. While terms of the deal were not disclosed, Parlement issued a statement that “the proposed acquisition will assure Parler a future role in creating an uncancelable ecosystem where all voices are welcome.”
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The statement added that both parties “intend to enter into a definitive purchase agreement” and expect to close the deal in the fourth quarter of 2022. The proposed buyout would include Parlement continuing to offer the “use of private cloud services via Parlement’s private cloud and data center infrastructure.”
Parler CEO George Farmer said, “This deal will change the world, and change the way the world thinks about free speech. Ye is making a groundbreaking move into the free speech media space and will never have to fear being removed from social media again.”
West was recently locked out of Twitter following anti-semitic tweets that violated the platform’s hate speech restrictions. Meta also restricted West’s Instagram account.
The “Runaway” rapper stated that it was an issue of free speech, writing, “In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial, we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves.”
West recently appeared on Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s show, explaining the reasoning behind wearing a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt and expanding on his anti-semitic conspiracy theories. West was diagnosed with bipolar disorder years ago and has publicly addressed his treatments.
Parler became one of the fastest-growing apps in the United States in 2020. However, Apple, Google, and Amazon removed the app from their respective app stores by January 2021 due to repeated policy violations of content, including spreading misinformation and inciting violence, via The New York Times.
President Donald Trump previously tried to purchase Parler ahead of the January 6th Insurrection, with representatives of the Trump family approaching the social media platform with a deal for the then-president to move most of his social media presence to the platform in exchange for 40 percent of the company’s gross revenues. Trump also added a clause that Parler would “ban anyone who spoke negatively about him,” as New York Magazine reported. Parlement did not agree to the terms.
Parler is financially backed by Trump supporters Bob and Rebekah Mercer and promotes “premier global free speech.”
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