FILE - In this Jan. 10, 2021, file photo, the website of the social media platform Parler is displayed in Berlin. The digital media conglomerate Starboard said Friday, April 14, 2023, it purchased the conservative social media site Parler and will temporarily take down the app as it undergoes a 鈥渟trategic assessment.鈥 (Christophe Gateau/dpa via AP, File)
FILE - In this Jan. 10, 2021, file photo, the website of the social media platform Parler is displayed in Berlin. The digital media conglomerate Starboard said Friday, April 14, 2023, it purchased the conservative social media site Parler and will temporarily take down the app as it undergoes a 鈥渟trategic assessment.鈥 (Christophe Gateau/dpa via AP, File)
NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 The digital media conglomerate Starboard said Friday it purchased the conservative social media site Parler and will temporarily take down the app as it undergoes a 鈥渟trategic assessment.鈥
The deal came months after another acquisition agreement with rapper Kanye West, legally known as Ye, collapsed in November.
The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed by either company. Parler said the deal was concluded on April 7.
Parler caters to right-wing, far right and libertarian voices and fashions itself as a platform with fewer rules in support of free speech. It was briefly booted off the internet in 2021 due to its connections to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. And its user base remains small.
Starboard, formerly known as Olympic Media, was founded in 2018 and owns other conservative-leaning news sites. In a news release, Parler called it 鈥渢he perfect home鈥 for its brand and loyal users.
鈥淭he team at Parler has built an exceptional audience and we look forward to integrating that audience across all of our existing platforms.鈥 Starboard CEO Ryan Coyne said in a statement.
Parler also said its CEO George Farmer will step down from his role. He will be replaced by Igor Shalkevich, the company鈥檚 chief development officer.