UNITED STATES: Social network Parler announced Monday a deal for Kanye West to buy the platform popular with US conservatives, just over a week after the rapper’s Twitter and Instagram accounts were restricted over anti-Semitic posts.
Conservatives in the US primarily utilize Parler, which bills itself as a “free speech” alternative to popular platforms.
George Farmer, the chief executive, wrote on social media that you “will never have to fear being removed from social media again.”
“Under the terms of their agreement in principle, the parties intend to enter into a definitive purchase agreement and expect to close during the fourth quarter of 2022.”
It also says the agreement will involve “ongoing technical support” from the business.
Following an explosion in growth following the 2020 US elections, Parler has struggled to remain relevant in recent months.
Compared to Twitter’s 9 million downloads, the app received 90,000 downloads worldwide in the previous month, according to Sensor Tower.
“In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial, we have to make sure we have the right to express ourselves freely,” stated Ye, who changed his name in 2021.
Parler, a company situated in Nashville, Tennessee, claims to have 15 million members who have signed up since it was created in 2018.
It is one of several applications that have targeted conservative users, including Truth Social, a platform endorsed by Donald Trump.
In September, Parlement Technologies, the parent business, reportedly told the Financial Times that it had secured an additional $16 million (£14 million), bringing the total raised to $56 million.
Politicians and broadcasters who are part of the mainstream US conservative movement all have accounts.
However, US far-right organizations who have been banned from other platforms have also been drawn to the app.
In response to the seizure of the US Capitol buildings on January 6, 2021, Google, Apple, and Amazon’s web-hosting service stopped the platform for failing to censor information that prompted or incited violence.
It was also discovered that several rioters had uploaded films and images to Parler showing themselves breaking into the Capitol.
After new management and a change in its moderation policies, the platform was eventually added back to the app stores.
Also Read: Trump’s Truth Social Receives Approval from Google Play Store
