Key points:
- Popular rapper, Kanye West is all set to buy Parler, a conservative social media platform
- The rapper has been suspended from other notable platforms over antisemitic posts
- Kanye West, in a press release, said “In a world where conservative opinions are considered controversial we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves.”
- Parler is among a host of right-wing-leaning social media platforms that have come into existence in the Trump era
Kanye West, the popular rapper has agreed in principle to buy the conservative social media platform Parler. The news comes after several social media platforms banned him for making many antisemitic and inflammatory comments in the past few weeks.
In a statement released by Parler, Kanye, who is also known as Ye said, “In a world where conservative opinions are considered being controversial we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves.”
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Why is Kanye West buying Parler?
Ye was compelled to take such a step after being banned from both his Twitter and Instagram accounts for posting anti-Semitic comments. Ye bought into a long-standing antisemitic conspiracy theory in one of his posts, claiming that fellow rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs was under Jewish control. Ye’s account was blocked on Twitter after he threatened to “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.”
Ye’s net worth
Kanye West’s net worth is close to around $2 billion according to a few reports. Where does his money come from? His collaborations with Gap and Adidas along with his brand of Yeezy sneakers make up an important portion of his wealth. However, at the moment, Adidas is reviewing its business relationship with Ye. Recently, JP Morgan ended their relationship with the rapper.
More about Parler
Parler is one of the many right-leaning platforms to emerge during Donal Trump’s presidential term. The influx of similar apps began after Trump’s supporters claimed to have been treated unfairly by Twitter and other social media platforms.
Some of these applications include Gettr, run by Trump’s former advisor Jason Miller, Donald Trump’s own application, Truth Social and the conservative video platform Rumble.
Parler was first launched in 2018. Last year, the platform was rife with controversy because of its role in the Capitol building on Jan 6, 2021. As a result, multiple tech companies including Amazon and Google blacklisted Parler’s services, making Parler’s website inaccessible to the public. However, in September 2021, Google added the application to its PlayStore again after altering its content moderation policies and enforcement.
Kanye and Parler’s parent company are likely to seal the deal before the end of 2022. Some terms in the deal include private cloud services and technical support for Parler from its parent company.
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Feature Image Source: Photo by Axel Antas-Bergkvist on Unsplash
