Controversial musician Kanye West has agreed a deal to buy the right-wing Web3 social media platform Parler.
West has been banned from Twitter and Instagram for anti-Semitic posts. After facing criticism for posing next to far-right political commentator Candace Owens at Paris Fashion Week wearing a ‘White Lives Matter’ shirt, he posted that he would “Go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE”.
“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.
The deal for Parlement Technologies – the parent company behind the Parler app as well as Web3 and secure cloud services DeepRedSky and Dynascale – is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2022.
The terms include ongoing technical support from Parlement and the use of private cloud services via Parlement’s private cloud and data centre infrastructure.
Parler has been removed from the Google Play and Apple App Stores.
The company stated: “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.
“The company is a guiding force in the fight against Big Tech, Big Government, censorship and cancel culture.”
Parlement is based in Nashville, Tennessee.
Parlement Technologies CEO George Farmer – who is married to Owens – added: “This deal will 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.
“Once again, Ye proves that he is one step ahead of the legacy media narrative. Parlement will be honoured to help him achieve his goals.”