American rapper and songwriter Kanye West, who is often surrounded by controversies, has decided to acquire the conservative social media network Parler, the functioning of which is similar to Twitter.
According to Deadline, the company said in an announcement that this deal "ensures Parler a future role in creating an uncancelable ecosystem where all voices are welcome."
Parler is among a handful of right-leaning social platforms to enter the market during and following Donald Trump's presidency.
After last year's U.S. Capitol riots incident, when Trump and several of his supporters were banned by Twitter, Parler was scrutinized for its role in the events of the day that transpired on January 6, 2021.
Large tech providers, including Google and Apple, deplatformed Parler but have recently restored the app to their app stores.
The financial terms of the deal have not been divulged. Parler recently said it raised USD 56 million in venture funding.
"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 feat being removed from social media again," Parler CEO George Farmer said.
"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 of the Parler transaction.
This move from West follows a stormy couple of weeks as his anti-Semitic posts and wearing of a 'White Lives Matter' T-shirt at a fashion show generated backlash from many corners.
As per Deadline, the rapper said he has been kicked off Twitter and Instagram, something that followed a series of antisemitic posts. One of his apparent defenders has been Elon Musk, who is poised to acquire Twitter, the very social platform that banned West.
( With inputs from ANI )
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