Kanye West is buying Parler, the right-wing social media app that’s been banned by Apple and Google multiple times and was used to coordinate the January 6th riots.
The rapper, known as Ye, joined the platform today.
“In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves,” said Mr West.
“This deal will change the world, and change the way the world thinks about free speech. Ye is making a groundbreaking move into the free speech media space and will never have to fear being removed from social media again. Once again, Ye proves that he is one step ahead of the legacy media narrative. Parlement will be honored to help him achieve his goals”, said George Farmer, the chief executive of Parler’s parent company, Parlement Technologies.
Parler has not disclosed how much Mr West will purchase the platform for or whether any policy changes are expected.
The app had been previously banned by Apple and Google from their app stores. In the days leading up to the Capitol riots, the platform was proliferating with posts on violent political threats, conspiracies, and insurrection-related content.
“We have received numerous complaints regarding objectionable content in your Parler service, accusations that the Parler app was used to plan, coordinate, and facilitate the illegal activities” in Washington DC, Apple told the company in an email sent January 2021. “The app also appears to continue to be used to plan and facilitate yet further illegal and dangerous activities,”
Parler since changed its policies to remove more content and comply with the tech giants’ policies. It is now available on both platforms.
Mr West has recently had posts removed from other major social media platforms including Twitter and Instagram.
Mr West posted a screenshot of a purported text conversation with Sean “Diddy” Combs on his Instagram page which suggested that Combs was being controlled by Jewish people and was taken down.
It was condemned by the American Jewish Committee, an anti-hate group, who slammed Mr West for his “dangerous” and anti-Semitic comments on their Instagram page.
A Meta spokesperson told The Independent that they “deleted content from @kanyewest for violating our policies and placed a restriction on the account.”
Similarly, Mr West’s tweeted that he was going to go “death con 3” on Jewish people. “The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda,” the rapper also said.
The Independent had contacted representatives for Mr West for comment but did not receive a reply before time of publication.
The posts come after Mr West wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt at Paris Fashion Week this month, following his long-running support for former President Trump and hints of a potential run for president as a Republican in 2024.
“My so-called friends/handlers around me told me if I said that I liked Trump that my career would be over. That my life would be over,” the rapper told Tucker Carlson in a Fox News interview.
Elon Musk, the head of Tesla and prospective buyer of Twitter, said he spoke to Mr West following the tweet. “Talked to ye today & expressed my concerns about his recent tweet, which I think he took to heart,” wrote the billionaire.
Mr Musk, like Mr West, has claimed that he is purchasing Twitter to prioritise free speech on the platform and relax restrictions. The news has been met with distress from Twitter employees.
However, Mr Musk’s description of free speech has been criticised for its simplistic approach - potentially meaning there would be less content on Twitter - and could come into conflict with legislation from world governments.
