Parler has been both acquired and shut down. On Friday, Starboard, a digital media company, announced its acquisition of Parler, the conservative social media platform.
Starboard stated that the acquisition was completed on Good Friday, though the purchase price was not disclosed.
Following this announcement, Starboard promptly shut down Parler’s website. A message on Parler.com now reads, “No reasonable person believes that a Twitter clone just for conservatives is a viable business any more.”
It is important to note that this action is not a commentary on conservatism from Starboard but a business decision.
Starboard’s statement also acknowledges former Parler CEO George Farmer for Parler’s recent efforts to offer alternative IT and cloud services through its former parent company, Parlament Technologies.
“We focus on collaborating with groups that advocate for or advance conservative causes or beliefs,” Starboard CEO Ryan Coyne told the Daily Caller News Foundation in 2021, when Starboard was still known as Olympic Media.
Starboard offers digital marketing and ad agency services, and according to its social media platforms, the agency has previously worked with current and former Republican Congress members such as Jim Jordan, Elise Stefanik, and Madison Cawthorn, as well as conservative organizations like Turning Point USA.
“Parler’s large user base and additional strategic assets present a significant opportunity for Starboard to continue expanding in our media and publishing business,” Starboard CEO Ryan Coyne said in a statement.
“The team at Parler has cultivated an exceptional audience, and we look forward to integrating that audience across all of our existing platforms.”
Starboard plans to use this acquisition to evaluate how the company can “begin servicing unsupported online communities.”
Parler gained popularity after the 2020 presidential election as right-wing users sought an alternative platform to discuss conspiracy theories and express their frustration over former president Donald Trump’s electoral defeat.
The platform became widely known in connection with the events of January 6th, 2021, when content posted by Trump supporters during the Capitol building storming quickly circulated online.
Due to the inflammatory content on the site, Apple and Google removed Parler’s mobile app from their respective stores. Although the apps were later reinstated after Parler introduced new content moderation policies, the platform’s popularity diminished.
New conservative alternatives like Trump’s Truth Social soon emerged as favored options. After a potential acquisition by Kanye West fell through, Parler laid off most of its employees earlier this year.
Some remaining Parler users expressed frustration over Starboard’s decision to shut down the platform without prior notice.
“You closed the site without previous notice. Unbelievable,” one user commented on Starboard’s Instagram announcement, accompanied by clown emojis. “Thanks for the advanced warning,” another user replied.
