Topline
Kanye West has agreed to purchase Parler—a social media platform that has fashioned itself as the “free speech” alternative to Twitter—the rapper announced on Monday, days after the rapper was blocked from posting both on Instagram and Twitter after making several anti-Semitic remarks.
Kanye West leaving the Burberry S/S 2022 Catwalk Show during London Fashion Week 2022.
Key Facts
In a press release, Parler’s parent company Parlement Technologies said it had entered an agreement to sell the platform to West, who now refers to himself as ‘Ye’.
The statement adds that the acquisition will ensure Parler remains an “uncancelable ecosystem” that welcomes all voices.
Financial details about the deal, such as how much West is paying to buy Parler, were not disclosed.
Both parties plan to complete the deal sometime in the fourth quarter of 2022 and Parlement may continue to provide technical support and cloud infrastructure for the social media app even after Kayne’s acquisition, the press release adds.
The release also includes the announcement that Kanye has opened a new account on Parler, but the rapper is yet to make a post as of early Monday morning.
Crucial Quote
“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 said in a statement.
Key Background
West’s actions have been at the center of several major controversies in recent weeks after he shared several anti-Semitic comments and bizarre conspiracy theories in both interviews and social media posts. Prior to that, the rapper showed up at his Yeezy brand’s fashion show dressed in a “White Lives Matter” shirt along with controversial right-wing commentator Candace Owens. West then unleashed anti-Semitic tirades on both Instagram and Twitter, leading to him being banned on both platforms. After his social media outburst, the rapper appeared on Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s show for an interview which had to be heavily edited to remove more anti-Semitic remarks and wild conspiracy theories.
This is a developing story.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/10/17/kanye-west-is-buying-right-wing-social-media-platform-parler/