Rapper Ye, also known by his given name Kanye West, is buying politically right-leaning social network Parler.
Parlement Technologies, Parler’s parent company, said in a news release on Monday that Ye “has become the richest Black man in history through music and apparel and is taking a bold stance against his recent censorship from Big Tech, using his far-reaching talents to further lead the fight to create a truly non-cancelable environment.”
Instagram and Twitter earlier this month restricted Ye’s access to his accounts on their platforms for posting antisemitic comments, saying the remarks violated company policy.
Terms of Ye’s purchase of Parler weren’t disclosed. The deal is expected to close by year-end.
“In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves,” Ye said in a statement.
Launched in 2018, Parler drew a surge of users following the 2020 presidential election, fashioning itself as a forum for conservative thought and alternative to other social media sites.
But Amazon stopped hosting the company on its web service last year after the technology giant said Parler had failed to block content that could incite violence in wake of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Other mainstream media platforms also booted Parler from their platforms.
In the days leading up to the Capitol riot, supporters of former President Trump and members of far right groups like the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers used Parler to call for violence on January 6 and organized plans to infiltrate the Capitol.
Parlement CEO George Farmer said in a statement on Monday that “Ye is making a groundbreaking move into the free speech media space and will never have to fear being removed from social media again.”
