US rapper Kanye West has entered into an agreement to buy alternative social media site Parler, a platform associated with right-wing conservatives.
The news comes after Kanye , who has legally changed his name to Ye, was locked out of Instagram and Twitter for violating the policies of the platforms by making anti-Semitic comments. His Instagram account was suspended after he accused rapper Diddy of being controlled by Jewish people.
He was barred from Twitter shortly afterwards for saying that he would go “death con three on Jewish people”, seeming to reference the Defcon alert state used by the US Armed Forces. Now the rapper has begun the process of buying Parler, saying: “In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial, we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves.”
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Parler chief executive 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.”
In a Tweet, Parler added that the acquisition “ensures Parler a future role in creating an uncancellable ecosystem where all voices are welcome.” First launched in August 2018, Parler advertised itself as a ‘global free speech’ alternative to the more popular social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
The platform initially attracted some high-profile Republican Donald Trump supporters, including Trump’s former lawyer Rudy Giuliani, his campaign manager Brad Parscale, and Utah Senator Mike Lee, as well as several members of Trump’s family. Parler also became home to some far-right names after they were banned from the mainstream social media networks, including Katie Hopkins, Milo Yiannopoulos, Laura Loomer, and Gavin McInnes.
Reuters reported that the platform had “mostly been a home for supporters of US President Doland Trump” until June 2019. According to the Anti-Defamation League, Parler “has attracted a range of right-wing extremists”, including QAnon conspiracy theorists, Proud Boys, and members of the alt-right.
Based in Nashville, Tennessee, the platform claims to have 15 million registered users. Parler was temporarily removed from app services including Apple and Amazon following the attack on the US Capitol in January 2021, due to concerns over its role in orchestrating the violence, and an FBI probe was called for into the platform.
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