Kanye West is acquiring a conservative social media platform called Parler.
In an announcement on Monday, Parler said West had made “a groundbreaking move into the free speech media space and will never have to fear being removed from social media again,” CNN reports.
The announcement was referring to West’s recent issue with Twitter. Earlier this month, Twitter temporarily locked his account after he posted an antisemitic tweet.
Parler did not release details of the deal but said the agreement should close before the end of the year. Parler’s parent company, Parlement Technologies, is expected to continue providing technical services and support for the app.
“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 release by Parler.
Parler was founded in 2018 and quickly became popular during the 2020 election. The social media platform is widely utilized by conservative politicians and celebrities. According to the market research firm Apptopia, Parler peaked at nearly 3 million daily users but has since slipped to about 40,000 users daily. In comparison, Twitter has more than 237 million daily active users.
After the Jan. 6 riots, Parler was removed from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for a “failure to adequately moderate violent rhetoric.” Other documents show the Secret Service warned that there were Parler posts that suggested violence on Jan. 6.
The app has since been restored to both app stores and has reportedly changed its content moderation policies.
West recently made headlines for sporting a controversial t-shirt with the slogan “White Lives Matter” on it.
Adidas is reportedly reviewing its partnership with West. West also shared that he is terminating his partnership with the Gap.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Brad Barket/Stringer
Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.
