Parlement Technologies, the parent company of social media platform Parler, has laid off the majority of its staff in recent weeks, according to a report from The Verge.
Parler billed itself as “censorship-free” when it launched 2018 as an alternative to more popular social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. The launch of Parler coincided with then-President Donald Trump’s outspoken views on alleged discrimination against conservatives on more traditional social media sites. The app grew in popularity during the run up to the 2020 Presidential election, but saw a sharp decline when both Apple and Google removed the platform from their app stores after the January 6th insurrection.
Apple reinstated the app nearly four months later, but only after it committed to a different set of moderation policies. However, by the time Parler returned to the app store, the “censorship-free” social media market had become saturated by competitors like Rumble, and the Trump-owned Truth Social.
Parler was nearly purchased by controversial artist Kanye West in October of 2022. “In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves,” West said at the time.
West’s purchase of the platform coincided with his removal from Instagram and Twitter for his continuing anti-Semitic posts. After praising Adolph Hitler during an appearance on Infowars with Alex Jones, Parlement Technologies terminated its deal with the rapper.
The company’s CEO is George Farmer, the husband of conservative commentator Candace Owens.
