Parler says Kayne West deal off, as rapper says he ‘likes’ Hitler

Right-leaning app’s parent company says decision was mutual and came before rapper’s latest outburst.

Parler, the right-leaning social media platform, will no longer be sold to Ye, its parent company said, hours after the rapper formerly known as Kayne West praised Adolf Hitler.

Parlement Technologies said on Thursday the company and Ye had “mutually agreed” not to go ahead with the sale and that the decision had been made last month.

“This decision was made in the interest of both parties in mid-November,” the company said in a statement.

“Parler will continue to pursue future opportunities for growth and the evolution of the platform for our vibrant community.”

Parler, launched in 2018 as a free speech alternative to mainstream platforms such as Twitter, has become popular among conservatives, libertarians and far-right figures due to its lax moderation policies.

The platform attracted widespread scrutiny after it was booted off the internet by Google, Amazon and Apple amid claims it had failed to police violent content in the lead-up to the January 6 riot at the United States Capitol. The app was relaunched with new leadership in February 2021.

Parlement Technologies and Ye had announced in October they would complete the sale of the platform for an undisclosed sum during the last quarter of 2022.

The announcement that the sale will not proceed came hours after Ye made an extraordinary appearance on Infowars, the talk show hosted by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, during which he repeatedly expressed admiration for Hitler and the Nazis.

During the hours-long appearance, Ye, wearing a black mask over his face, said he likes Hitler several times and claimed the Nazis did “good things too”.

“We gotta stop dissing the Nazis all the time… I love Nazis,” Ye said.

Ye, who suffers from bipolar disorder and has a long history of erratic behaviour, has attracted controversy with a series of anti-Semitic remarks that have prompted big brands to cut ties with the rapper-businessman.

Adidas last month ended a partnership deal with Ye worth an estimated $1.5bn after the rapper claimed Jewish people had sabotaged him and “owned the Black voice”.