American rapper Kanye West takes over the social medium Parler from parent company Parliament Technologies. It is unknown how much he pays.
Parler profiles itself as a social network that promotes freedom of expression and the protection of user rights. The service gained popularity, especially among people with far-right ideology in the United States, when Facebook and Twitter began to moderate more strictly. “The proposed acquisition will secure Parler a future role in creating an uncancellable ecosystem where all voices are welcome,” the platform said.
“In a world where conservative views are considered controversial, we need to make sure we have the right to express ourselves,” Kanye West said in a statement. The rapper recently faced restrictions from major social networks for violating their policies. Twitter and Instagram, for example, removed messages that were considered anti-Semitic last week.
Parler himself also had to deal with opposition from tech companies. Both Google and Apple temporarily withdrew the platform from their app stores in January 2021 for policy violations following the storming of the US Capitol.
Parliament Technologies CEO George Farmer calls Kanye West a champion “in the fight for free speech” and speaks of a “ground-breaking” deal. Parliament will be honoured to help him achieve his goals. Details about the transaction have not been disclosed. However, the deal should be finalized this year, and it sounds like.
