KANYE WEST ADDED A SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM TO HIS ASSETS

Kanye West is acquiring Parler, the social media site adorned by several conservatives. On Monday morning, officials from Parlement Technologies informed about the deal, stating that West had made “a groundbreaking move into the free speech media space and will never have to fear being removed from social media again.” The purchase was initiated after Twitter momentarily froze West’s account last month due to an anti-Semitic post, even though he has legally changed his name to “Ye.”

The terms and conditions of the deal weren’t made public for specific reasons. The company still had to reach a definitive agreement with West, planning to close it by the fourth quarter. Parlement Technologies, the parent company of Parler, would offer technical assistance and cloud support.

In the wake of former President Donald Trump’s attempt to appeal to conservatives with Truth Social and Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s proposed takeover of Twitter, West’s purchase of Parler will project him as the newest celebrity owner of a social media network. Additionally, it sheds light on several affluent males who want to control social media platforms to support what they refer to as “free speech,” some of whom were banned or suspended for making incendiary remarks.

Kanye West said, “We have to make sure we have the right to openly express ourselves in a society where conservative beliefs are perceived to be contentious. During the live announcement, it was proclaimed that Parler was linked to West’s account. Around 500 people were following the account.

The transaction took place at a contentious time for Ye. The Anti-Defamation League has connected the phrase “White Lives Matter” to organizations that support white supremacy; therefore, West has made headlines recently for wearing a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt in public and justifying his usage of the slogan as “funny” to Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson.

Last month, Adidas announced that it was reconsidering its relationship with West following the t-shirt incident. West also announced in September that he was ending a two-year collaboration with the clothing brand Gap.

When the 2020 election rolled around, Parler, created in 2018, expanded quickly. According to the market research firm Apptopia, the app gained popularity among conservative lawmakers and media figures and peaked at an estimated 2.9 million daily users. However, things have changed since then, with Apptopia informing CNN on Monday that Parler’s projected daily user count has dropped to only 40,000 compared to Twitter, which has more than 237 million daily active users.

Parler was taken down from the Apple Store and Google Play Store in the following weeks after the riots on January 6. According to stores, it was a fiasco altogether. The documents from the House Committee mentioned that the Secret Service was aware of Parler’s intriguing posts. In a separate letter to Congress, Parler argues that lawmakers’ interest in the app’s contribution to the riots is an attempt to “scapegoat” the app.

Parler is the social media site of the Nashville-based company Parlement Technologies. They have stated that the deal will be finalized by the end of the year.