It used to be that newspapers were the must-have baubles for wealthy ideologues. Now, social media platforms are becoming the trophy asset of choice for powerful individuals who want to push an anything-goes view on free speech, especially if they’re been burned by the rules on more established sites. Kanye West is the latest to throw his hat in the ring to become a platform proprietor, pushing for the “right to freely express ourselves.”
The musician and apparel tycoon also known as Ye has agreed to buy Parler, a relatively small forum that calls itself a free-speech alternative to Twitter, according to an announcement from the firm on Monday. Parler is a right-wing network that Apple and Google temporarily kicked off their app stores following reports that it was used to plan the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
"In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial, we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves," Ye said in a press release announcing the deal. About a week ago, the rapper was suspended from Twitter and Instagram for antisemitic posts, including a tweet that he was going to go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.”
