The right-wing app’s parent company says the decision was mutual and came before the rapper’s latest outburst.
Speak, the right-wing social media platform, will no longer be sold to Ye, its parent company said, hours after the rapper formerly known as Kanye West praised Adolf Hitler.
Parliament Technologies said on Thursday that the company and Ye had “mutually agreed” not to proceed with the sale and the decision was made last month.
“This decision was made in the interests of both parties in mid-November,” the company said in a statement.
“Parler will continue to look for future growth opportunities and the evolution of the platform for our vibrant community.”
Speak, 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 has come under intense scrutiny after it was launched on the internet by Google, Amazon and Apple as it claimed it had failed to control violent content before the 6th riot. January at the United States Capitol. The app was relaunched with new management in February 2021.
Parliament Technologies and Ye had announced in October that they would complete the sale of the platform for an undisclosed amount in the last quarter of 2022.
The announcement that the sale will not go ahead came hours after Ye made an extraordinary appearance on Infowars, the talk show hosted by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, during which he repeatedly expressed his admiration for Hitler and the Nazis.
During the hours-long appearance, Ye, wearing a black mask over his face, repeatedly said he loved Hitler and claimed the Nazis did “good things too.”
“We have to stop dissolving Nazis all the time…I love Nazis,” Ye said.
Ye, who suffers from bipolar disorder and has a long history of erratic behavior, sparked controversy with a series of anti-Semitic remarks that prompted major brands to cut ties with the rapper-businessman.
Adidas last month ended a partnership deal with Ye worth an estimated $1.5 billion after the rapper claimed Jews sabotaged him and “possessed the black voice”.
