What is Parler? Everything you need to know about the social media platform Kanye West has agreed to buy
The rapper has agreed to buy the fringe social media platform which is favoured by the right wing but what actually is it?
Kanye West has had an eventful three weeks. He appeared at Paris fashion week, returned to Instagram (was banned), returned to Twitter (he was banned) and went on multiple anti-semitic rants. Now, with the help of a friend who stood alongside side him on the Parisian runway, he has made steps to purchase Parler.
The app has only just been restored to the Apple and Google stores after a long ban since the January 7 riots. The app hosting companies argued Parler was not doing enough to restrict content that incited violence. Despite the app railing against the move publicly, in order to be reinstated on the stores it hired a number of content regulators and signed up to Google Store policies to remove content that could incite violence, breaching its own claims on true free speech.
Clearly, if Kanye was to use Parler to make anti-semitic claims like he did on Twitter then Parler may be forced to remove his content or risk losing its license once more.
George Farmer, the chief executive of Parler’s parent company, Parlement Technologies, said the deal could, “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.”
Farmer says Parler has 16.5 million registered users. Research firm Apptopia estimates the platform has been installed 11.7 million times since launch, with an estimated 40,000 daily active users. In comparison, Twitter has around 206 million daily.
How was the deal formualted?
While few details have been released, there are some interesting tit-bits which could reveal why and in what capacity the purchase has happened.
George Farmer is married to Candace Owens, a right-wing personality who has made a living speaking for Turning Point USA and other ultra-conservative groups. She was with Kanye West during his “White Lives Matter” stunt at the Paris fashion show. An interview with Farmer, conducted by Reuters, revealed talks about the purchase began almost immediately after this, a mere two weeks ago.
With Parler’s average monthly user base between seven and ten times lower than two of its major rivals, Truth social and Gab, the owners could be forgiven for wanting to sell the platform.
Parler said the deal will be completed in the final quarter of 2022.