Rapper Kanye West announced this week that he is in the process of buying the far-right social network Parler. But what will Kim Kardashian’s ex-wife actually get? An investigation by The Verge detailed the great difficulty this app, launched in 2018, had to take on Twitter and its moderation, which is seen as partisan. Four years later, Parler would only attract 50,000 daily users. A drop of water compared to the 237 million daily visitors of the social network it wants to compete with… According to Comscore, Parler has a monthly audience of 137,000 visitors. A level far removed from the peak of 12 million reached in January 2021, just before Apple and Android suspended the app for several months. It’s about the lack of moderation in such dangerous expressions as calls for assassination against former Vice President Mike Pence.
According to The Verge, Parlement Technologies, the current owner of Parler, wants to fight back. “Deep State, Censorship and Canceled Culture”, put it on sale for a few weeks. The super-sulfur social network is struggling to monetize. No brand dares to appear next to extremist writings. And Parler’s NFT platform, DeepRedSky, has sold just three irreplaceable assets since March…
Parler isn’t the only so-called “alternative” social network in trouble. Gettr, or Truth Social, founded by Donald Trump, is struggling to attract crowds despite its promises of total freedom of expression. And for good reason, totally ““culture war” between the right and the left, the battle of ideas takes place on the most popular platforms to better fight the opposing camp.
The price of the deal aside, Kanye West seems to want to buy into the image of a free speech champion like Elon Musk before him. After anti-Semitic expressions and provocations, such as wearing a T-shirt with the logo, the rapper was removed from Instagram and Twitter. “White Lives Matter” (white lives matter), more and more doors are being closed to him. One of his closest friends, political commentator Candace West, suggested that he buy Parler. She is none other than the wife of Parliament Technologies CEO George Farmer.
Source: Le Figaro
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.