Kanye West said he wants to protect ’conservative opinions’
(Picture: Getty Images)Days after Kanye West was banned from Instagram and Twitter for making anti-semitic comments on social media, the rapper announced his intention to buy the right-wing social media app Parler.
The platform has been removed from app services in the past due to concerns over its involvement in the US Capitol attacks.
Although the financial terms of the deal haven’t been made public, the company has previously announced that it raised $56 million (£49 million) in funding from external investors, which gives some sense of the app’s value. Ye’s own financial worth is estimated to be close to $2 billion.
Here’s a closer look at what Parler is and its chequered past.
What is Parler?
Parler has been described as an alt-tech version of Twitter, attracting Donald Trump supporters, conservatives, conspiracy theorists, and far-right extremists. By January 2021, it had gathered 15 million active users since its inception in 2018.
Posts on the platform often contain far-right terms, antisemitism, and conspiracy theories such as QAnon.
Parler markets itself as a free-speech-focused platform, but this stance has been criticised by journalists and users alike for being a cover for far-right content. Some users have also complained that the content policies are actually more restrictive than the company publicises, with left-wing and liberal users being banned for challenging common viewpoints, criticising Parler itself, or creating parody accounts.
Both Google and Apple took steps to remove Parler from their platforms, which the app called "a coordinated attack by the tech giants to kill competition in the marketplace".
Parler resumed service on February 15, 2021, after moving domain registration to Epik. A version of the app with added content filters was released on the Apple App Store on May 17, 2021, while it took longer to return to Google Play on September 2, 2022.
Who owns Parler?
Founded by CEO John Matze, he was fired from the company’s board in January 2021. His role was taken over by co-founder and key investor Rebekah Mercer.
From February to May 2021, former Tea Party activist Mark Meckler took over as interim CEO until Brexit Party donor George Farmer took the position.
At the moment, it is controlled by parent company Parlement Technologies, which runs under the slogan: “The future is uncancelable.”
Why does Kanye West want to buy Parler?
Hot on the heels of Ye being locked out of his Instagram and Twitter accounts, the billionaire has described his decision to buy the app out of a desire to protect freedom of expression.
In a statement, Ye said: “In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial, we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves.”
Commenting on the agreement to CNBC, Parlement Technologies CEO George Farmer said the sale “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,” Farmer continued. “Once again, Ye proves that he is one step ahead of the legacy media narrative. Parlement will be honoured to help him achieve his goals.”
Ye’s actions have echoed those of fellow billionaire Elon Musk, who has also been in conversations about buying Twitter. As a self-described “free speech absolutist”, Musk said he wants to make Twitter a “digital town square” that promotes free expression, in a similar manner to Ye.
