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Kanye West Is Buying Conservative Social Media Platform Parler
Kanye West won’t be silenced.
After being restricted from Instagram and Twitter, the rapper is reportedly looking to buy his own social media platform to speak his mind.
According to The New York Times, Ye has agreed to purchase Parler, the one-time defunct conservative service.
“In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves,” Ye said in the statement released by Parlement Technologies.
The announcement comes a little over a week after Twitter and Instagram restricted Ye’s accounts after he posted anti-Semitic remarks.
Parler, which did not disclose the agreed-upon price, has railed against censorship by presenting itself as a “free speech” social network. It has attracted supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Last month, Parler said it had raised $16 million, bringing its funding to $56 million. It is a competitor to Truth Social, which was founded by Trump.
TMZ reports that Ye’s close friend and adviser Candace Owens may have facilitated the deal. Her husband George Farmer is Parler’s CEO, but he may take a back seat to Ye if the deal goes through.
Over the weekend, “Drink Champs” aired its controversial interview with West where he made more anti-Semitic remarks and claimed that George Floyd died of fentanyl consumption rather than being restrained by former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin.