Kanye West buys controversial hate platform Parler

American rapper Kanye “Ye” West wants to buy the internet platform “Parler”. The company confirmed this in a statement. The website, which bills itself as a “global pioneer for complete freedom of expression,” is currently in negotiations with the American star.

“In a world where conservative opinions are considered controversial, we need to make sure we are free to express our views,” Ye says, explaining his intentions to buy the online platform.

“Ye has become the richest black man in history through music and clothing and is now taking a bold stance against Big Tech’s censorship,” Parler wrote on his website about the rapper’s purchase intentions.

A purchase price has not been disclosed, but negotiations appear to be well advanced. As reported by US magazine Engadget, the acquisition is expected to close in the current fourth quarter of 2022.

West has been banned from social media

The musician and entrepreneur was blocked on multiple platforms over a week ago, including Instagram and the short message service Twitter. The reason for the ban was cited as a violation of company policy, because West had spread anti-Semitic sentiment through his accounts. At least that’s what a report from the American news channel CNN suggested.

In a post shared on social media, West accused American rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs of being controlled by shadowy Jewish people. The American Jewish Committee then classified his statement as “anti-Jewish” because the statement would use a classic anti-Semitic motif.

What is Parler?

Parler is a microblogging social platform and has been online since 2018. An estimated 20 million people (as of early 2020) use the service worldwide, most of them in the United States. Parler’s most prominent users are Eric and Ivanka Trump, well-known Republicans such as Ted Cruz and Rudy Giuliani, as well as international politicians such as Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

“Parler” fell into disrepute in January 2021 during the storming of the Capitol. Storm rights would have arranged to use the platform to prevent Joe Biden from being elected as the new US president.

The platform has also been criticized for taking little action against inflammatory, racist and anti-Semitic posts and users. Many right-wing people in the US, who have already been banned from other platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, use Parler to communicate with their supporters.

Used sources:

(t-online/ARG)