Rapper turned MAGA troll Kanye West is set to buy his own social media platform after being booted from Twitter and Instagram for anti-Semitic posts. But the deal involves a lot more than just social media.
Ye, as West now walks by, is ready to buy Parler, “the world’s pioneering non-terminable free speech platform,” parent company Parlement Technologies announced this morning.
It’s the latest development in what appears to be a growing movement of emerging far-right black conservatives. It could also represent a pioneering movement in another growing aspect of the right wing – the creation of a computer services infrastructure.
Today’s announcement by Parlement Technologies comes just a month after Parlement’s formation and includes both Parler and its new venture to create a “non-cancellable cloud service.” The company raised $16 million for its new cloud services business just last month.
Parler was shut down after Amazon stopped providing its computing services following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Parlement Technologies CEO George Farmer said on Fox Business this morning that the sale to Ye is part of something bigger than Parler, which is to create a complete computing services infrastructure for the burgeoning “patriot economy.”
The new deal would allow companies to support and conduct sales, communications and operations that benefit and promote right-wing causes – including hate speech – without repercussions from their computer service provider. Farmer said, “Wake up corporations, fear, we’re coming for you.”
Like Parler, Ye has also been shut down on social media. Just last week, his Twitter and IG accounts were suspended after he reportedly tweeted that he would be making “Death Victims 3 vs. JEWISH PEOPLE” among other anti-Semitic posts. He also shared anti-Semitic views during a Fox taping, Vice News reported.
Farmer said Yes’s purchase was motivated by his account suspensions. Farmer’s wife is Candace Owens, another polarizing black conservative figure who is an acquaintance of Ye’s.
Earlier this month, Ye and Owens came under fire after appearing together at Paris Fashion Week and ‘White lives matter‘ shirts.
It’s not clear how much Ye agreed to give Parlement Technologies in exchange for Parler, but the terms of the deal also oblige him to buy support and cloud services from Parlement. Parler is reportedly having trouble attracting users or regular engagement.
The future of the platform is bleak given the uncertainties elsewhere in the market. Twitter freelancer Elon Musk has suggested that he may be the former Pres. Donald Trump back on this platform. Trump also has his own ailing social media platform, Truth Social.
Ye has been an active MAGA Republican since Trump took office and has repeatedly announced his own ambitions for a presidential nomination. Commenting on the upcoming acquisition, Ye is quoted in the announcement as saying, “In a world where conservative opinions are considered controversial, we must ensure we have the right to express ourselves freely.”
TYT Washington correspondent Candice Cole was previously the White House correspondent and executive producer for the Black News Channel and has worked at a number of local news outlets. You can find her on Twitter @CandiceColeNews.
