Kanye ‘Ye’ West, the controversial US rapper, has agreed to buy Parler, a social media platform that sees itself as a “free speech” alternative to Twitter.
The acquisition was announced in a statement by Parler on Monday morning.
The company said that it has entered into an agreement in principle with the rapper that is expected to be completed later this year.
“In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves,” West said.
According to Parlement Technologies, the parent company of Parler, the acquisition would help create “an uncancelable ecosystem where all voices are welcome.”
“This deal will change the world, and change the way the world thinks about free speech,” said George Farmer, Parlement Technologies CEO.
“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.”
Launched in 2018, Parler referred to itself as a free-speech space for those seeking an alternative to platforms such as Twitter.
The development comes a few days after Instagram and Twitter locked West’s accounts for allegedly violating its policies.
The controversial rapper was first restricted by Instagram after which he took to Twitter, where he accused Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, of kicking him off the platform.
In another tweet, West wrote “death con 3 on Jewish People” — in what appeared to be a reference to the US military readiness condition scale known as DEFCON.
“The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also. You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda,” the rapper added.
The tweet was deleted by Twitter for “violating its rules.”
The restrictions mean the rapper won’t be able to post on Instagram and Twitter until the suspension ends.
West earlier faced a wave of criticism after wearing a shirt reading “White Lives Matter” during his surprise Yeezy Season 9 fashion show in Paris.
