Frustrated by being kicked out of Twitter and Instagram, Kanye West bought the social network Parler.
Kanye West (also known as Ye) was banned from Twitter and Instagram last week after posting anti-Semitic posts over the weekend. Today, the story takes a new turn: the American star buys the controversial social app Parler, which advocates “freedom of expression.”The operation should be completed quickly, as early as the fourth quarter of 2022, according to the company we should be talking to, Parliament Technologies. The amount was not disclosed.
Frustrated by his exile from Twitter and Instagram,
“This acquisition will provide Parler with a role to play in creating an irresistible ecosystem where all voices are welcome,” said George Farmer, CEO of Parliament Technologies. “In a world where conservative views are considered controversial, we need to make sure we have the right to express ourselves,” Kanye West added.
Shortly after returning to Twitter, the singer posted an anti-Semitic message, which was eventually removed by Twitter. “The account in question was suspended due to a violation of Twitter policies,”a spokesperson said at the time. The rapper also shared a screenshot on Instagram of yet another anti-Semitic message, and his account was also suspended.
Kanye West buys social network Parler
Was talking to you today and expressed concern about his recent tweet, which I think he took to heart.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 11, 2022
According to the post above, eventual future Twitter owner Elon Musk expressed concern over his tweet, saying “he took it to heart.”Enough to go so far as to buy a competing service.
Meanwhile, Parler recently regained its spot on Google Play after being banned in January 2021 following the U.S. Capitol uprising. A Google spokesperson said the removal was due to the app’s lack of “rules and moderation tools to remove offensive content, such as posts that incite violence.”Apple removed the app for the same reasons before restoring it in May.
Judging by the comments, Parler and Kanye West welcome this acquisition and see it as a boon to free speech. However, if Parler allows racist, sexist, or anti-Semitic posts like the one Kanye West removed from Twitter and Instagram, the app could be removed from the App Store and Google Play again.
Talk launched in 2018, but its popularity skyrocketed after Donald Trump was banned from Twitter and Ted Cruz and others tweeted that they were joining the app. Despite claiming to be a “free speech social network”, some tweeters claimed to have been banned after joining the app to troll more conservative people. Parler also competes with Donald Trump’s own social network Truth.