Kanye West’s Deal to Buy Parler Unravels (Published 2022)
- ️Thu Dec 01 2022
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The parent company of Parler, a social media service popular with right-wing audiences, said it had “mutually agreed with Ye” to end the deal.
Dec. 1, 2022
SAN FRANCISCO — Kanye West, the rapper and fashion designer known for antisemitic commentary, is no longer buying Parler, the social media service that bills itself as a platform for free speech and is popular among right-wing audiences, the company said on Thursday.
Mr. West, who goes by Ye, agreed to buy Parler for an undisclosed sum in October, days after Instagram and Twitter restricted his accounts in response to antisemitic commentary he shared on the platforms. The deal set Ye up alongside Elon Musk, who was buying Twitter, as prominent figures who would own a social media company, giving them personal outlets to assert their views about speech on the platforms.
But Ye’s deal for Parler collapsed in mid-November, a Parler spokeswoman said. The social media service, which is owned by Parlement Technologies, did not specify why the sale to Ye was not moving forward.
“Parlement Technologies has confirmed that the company has mutually agreed with Ye to terminate the intent of sale of Parler,” a Parler spokeswoman said in a statement. She added that Parler would “continue to pursue future opportunities for growth and the evolution of the platform for our vibrant community.”
Ye could not immediately be reached for comment.
In October, Ye said he would use Parler to ensure that conservative voices were heard. “In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial, we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves,” he said.
Since then, Ye has continued to push antisemitic messages. Several fashion brands, including Adidas, have severed deals with him because of those posts.