Kanye West, AKA Ye, is officially above the (social media) law as he buys rightwing social network Parler. Boris Johnson gets whiplash from a short lived comeback as he pulls out of the Conservative leadership race. And Apple tells Google ‘how do you like them apples’ as it ventures into the ad space.
December 11, 2023
Studio
Ye gets a social media platform
Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has flipped the bird at Twitter after it threw him from its nest.
He is set to acquire the conservative social media network Parler, with the deal expected to be completed by the end of the year.
His move to purchase the site comes after a series of antisemitic outbursts led to his account being blocked from posting on both Instagram and Twitter - to which Parler said ‘Nobody puts Ye in a corner.’
Under the terms of the agreement, Ye will acquire full ownership of the platform, but the network will continue to receive ongoing technical support from Parlement, including access to its private cloud services and data centre infrastructure.
“This deal will change the world, and change the way the world thinks about free speech. Ye is making a groundbreaking move into the free speech media space and will never have to fear being removed from social media again,” said George Farmer, the chief executive of Parler’s parent company, Parlement.
Following the US Capital riots, Parler was removed from the Apple and Google app stores for its role in inciting violence and was only reinstated after agreeing to add content moderation to the platform. But it said the acquisition will guarantee Parler a future role in creating an ‘uncancelable’ ecosystem where all voices are welcome.
Can someone put Parler on mute?
Don’t call it a comeback, because it wasn’t
Boris Johnson has pulled out of the Tory leadership race for the sake of the country.
The former PM said that while there was a very good chance he would have been successful and back in Downing Street on Friday, in the interests of party unity and national morale, it would be better if he stood down.
“You can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in parliament,” he said in a statement announcing his decision.
You also can’t govern effectively unless you’re an effective leader, but whatever.
Johnson had spent the weekend trying to persuade Conservative lawmakers to back him. He needed the support of 100 by Monday to progress to the next stage, which would have seen him go head-to-head against Rishi Sunak.
Announcing his decision to stand in the first place, he said he was uniquely placed to avert a general election given his recent premiership and long-standing history as the Mayor of London. And supporters of his agreed.
Fans of the former PM insisted he had changed for the better, citing the fact he was rather smartly dressed and tucked in his shirt. A Johnson 2.0, even.
But alas, the prospect of success was too much for him to bear.
Apple is an Ad company
Apple is making advertising a core service.
While the company has sold ads inside Apple News and the App Store since 2016, it has been developing its services over the past year as it looks to make a position for itself in an industry dominated by Google, Meta & Amazon.
In June, it expanded the way companies could pay to get in front of its customers, allowing them to buy ads on the front page of the App store. In August, it began building a self-service platform for businesses to book ads to be served to customers through Apple products. And this month, reports surfaced that it was courting potential buyers for ads on Apple TV+, as well as hiring a lot of people in pursuit of advertising riches.
But users aren’t happy about it.
Apple’s seemingly insular, ad-light experience is one of the most favoured aspects of the company’s products, and the prospect of more ads is leaving a rotten taste in their mouth.
The company will have to balance its previous reputation for privacy against the data grab that advertisement-intense ecosystems create.
But now for, how do you like them apples, Google?
