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| Kanye West |
In the middle of a firestorm ignited by his recent antisemitic remarks and continued erratic behavior, Kanye West is doubling down instead of backing down.
Parlement Technologies announced on Monday (Oct. 17) morning that the mogul has an agreement in principle to acquire its social networking service Parler.
Launched in 2018 as a "conservative" alternative to sites like Twitter and Facebook, the site is best known for its association with former President Donald Trump.
Parler became the unofficial internet home of his Make America Great Movement. Marketed as a safe space for those with conservative values to share their thoughts without fear of censorship or reprisal, the site attracted hordes of Trump supporters.
It is heavily associated with far-right extremism, conspiracy theorists, racism and antisemitism. Parler is also a stronghold for followers of the QAnon movement.
Sometimes called a cult, QAnon pitches Trump as America's savior, conspired against by satanic forces and executing thousands of pedophiles as part of his duties during his time in office.
Kanye blaming his:
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) October 16, 2022
- failed marriage
- his mental illness
- his fallout with his friends ...
on JEWS.
A new low, even for Kanye. pic.twitter.com/fSXJ68eWlu
The move might seem baffling to some, but for longtime fans of the artist, it likely comes as no surprise. West, who suffers from bipolar disorder, behavior has grown increasingly unpredictable since his mother Donda West, died of complications from cosmetic surgery in 2007.
In recent years, the "College Dropout" rapper had embraced Trump's MAGA movement and supported his presidency as well, made death threats to Pete Davidson after the comedian began dating his estranged wife and implied that slavery was a choice.
Following in the footsteps of Trump (Truth Social), and West's friend Elon Musk (Twitter), by seeking ownership of a platform where he can espouse whatever beliefs he wants without getting policed —as he recently was on several social media sites after his egregious comments about Jews and others — does not seem so far-fetched with that in mind.
"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 West, of his reasons for the purchase, in a statement.
Parlement Technologies CEO George Farmer is the husband of recent Kanye-crisis collaborator Candace West, who sparked controversy with the Yeezy boss when the duo wore "White Lives Matter" T-shirts at the brand's Paris fashion show earlier this year.
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) October 3, 2022
Farmer said, "This deal will change the world and change the way the world thinks about free speech."
He added. "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."
The parties intend to enter into a definitive purchase agreement and expect to close during the fourth quarter of 2022. The terms of the proposed transaction would include ongoing technical support from Parlement and the use of private cloud services via Parlement's private cloud and data center infrastructure.
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