According to a statement issued by Parlement Technologies on Thursday, the parent company of social media platform Parler and American rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, have agreed to terminate the intent to sell Parler.
“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.”
The deal was announced in October by Parlement Technologies and Ye. The company stated at the time that it expected the transaction to close in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Ye has been criticized recently for making anti-Semitic comments. He had dinner on November 22 with former US President Donald Trump and prominent white supremacist Nick Fuentes at Trump’s exclusive club in Florida.
Ye ended his collaboration with clothing retailer Gap Inc. in September. In October, the German sportswear manufacturer Adidas ended its collaboration with Ye.
Parler, which debuted in 2018, has been re-added to Google Play and Apple’s App Store after being taken down in the wake of the riots at the US Capitol in January 2021. Before Twitter‘s new ownership under billionaire Elon Musk, a number of social media platforms, including Gettr, Gab, and Truth Social, had positioned themselves as free-speech rivals to the company.
