The conservative social media company Parler announced on Monday, October 17, that it is being purchased by Kanye West. Recently, the rapper was temporarily suspended from Twitter due to a tweet deemed antisemitic.
A press release from the company controlling Parler announcing the deal states that West, who legally changed his name to Ye, is making “an innovative move in media freedom of expression,” where “he will never have to fear being removed from social media again.”
West, for his part, said that “in a world where conservative opinions are considered controversial, we must ensure that we have the right to express ourselves freely.”
What is Parler?
Parler is an alternative social media platform that is popular among conservatives. Founded in 2018, Parler is marketed as “the leading global platform for freedom of expression.”
The media has some similarities to Twitter. Users can create posts called “parleys” within a character limit. Parler users can also follow other users and interact with them in the comments section.
Why is Parler considered controversial?
The company describes itself as a “solution to problems that have arisen in recent years due to changes in Big Tech,” a reference to content moderation practices that have led to some users being suspended or removed from platforms.
One of Parler’s main selling points is the lack of content moderation. Some posts on the platform feature content including, among others, antisemitism and conspiracy theories.
Has Parler been banned?
In January 2021, Parler was banned from several traditional social media hosting services following the insurrection that occurred at the U.S. Capitol. There are indications that the platform was used to organize the invasion.
Parler was relaunched in February 2021 after updating some of the company’s guidelines, and has since been reinstated to Apple and Google.
Who owns Parler?
Ye has agreed to acquire Parler and the deal is expected to close soon. The CEO of Parlement Technologies, the parent company, is George Farmer, husband of conservative activist Candace Owens.
Parler was founded by Rebekah Mercer and John Matze — Mercer is the daughter of billionaire Breitbart founder Robert Mercer.
Owens and Ye appear to be friends and have been photographed together at events several times over the past few years.
What is Parler worth?
The terms of Ye’s deal to acquire the company are not yet known. The Nashville-based company has raised about $56 million to date, according to Reuters. Parler claims to have over 16 million registered users as of September 2022, although it has far fewer active accounts.
According to reports from TechCrunch, Parler’s monthly active user base on iOS and Android is 250,000. Facebook has over 2.9 billion monthly active users, while Twitter has over 200 million daily active users.