Kanye “Ye” West’s recent anti-Semitic statements caused Instagram and Twitter to temporarily restrict the entertainer’s access to those respective websites. Now it appears West wants to acquire his own social networking company called Parler.
According to a press release, West will purchase Parlement Technologies’ Parler application. Founded in 2018, the Twitter alternative presents itself as a “free speech” platform that caters to far-right ideologues.
“In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves,” says Kanye West.
George Farmer, Parlement Technologies CEO, adds, “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.”
The terms of the arrangement include both parties entering into a definitive purchase agreement that should be finalized during the fourth quarter of 2022. The proposed transaction will feature Parlement providing ongoing technical support as well as offering the use of the parent company’s private cloud services.
January 6 Insurrectionists Reportedly Used Parler To Organize Capitol Attack
Parler has faced widespread criticism for allowing hate speech, antisemitism, and QAnon conspiracy theories on the app. Following the January 6 riot at the United States Capitol in 2021, Apple and Google pulled Parler from their respective stores. Parler users reportedly played a huge role in the attack.
A version of Parler returned to Apple’s App Store earlier this year. The Google Play Store reinstated Parler last month. Apparently, Parler agreed to some content moderation in order to reappear in both stores.
According to Crunchbase, Parler raised $36 million in funding over 3 rounds. The latest funding round took place on September 16, 2022. Donald Trump also launched a conservative-focused social media service called Truth Social. Even with the backing of a former POTUS, Truth Social is still facing financial difficulty.
Kanye West’s purchase of Parler will not likely stop the billionaire from facing criticism for his controversial public comments. Over the weekend, West was in the middle of another serious media firestorm.
The Donda album creator suggested unarmed motorist George Floyd died from a drug overdose in 2020. However, a Minnesota jury found then-cop Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering Floyd. Video footage showed Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for about nine minutes. Two separate autopsies confirmed asphyxiation as the cause of death.
