Parler, once a rising star in the social media landscape, has gone through significant ownership changes since its creation. The platform was acquired in April 2023 by Starboard, a right-leaning marketing firm, after a potential deal with musician Ye (formerly Kanye West) fell through. Parler is currently owned by PDS Partners, a limited liability corporation, with three co-owners: Elise Pierotti, Rhodes, and Jaco Booyens.
The social media platform has had a turbulent journey. After being shut down by its previous owner who deemed a “Twitter clone” not a “viable business,” Parler announced plans to relaunch in early 2024 ahead of the election season. Elise Pierotti, a former Parler executive, has returned as the platform’s chief, working alongside the other co-owners to revive the service that once attracted users seeking an alternative to mainstream social networks.
Key Takeaways
- Parler is currently owned by PDS Partners LLC with three co-owners: Elise Pierotti, Rhodes, and Jaco Booyens.
- The platform was shut down after its acquisition by Starboard in 2023 but plans to relaunch in early 2024.
- Parler continues to position itself as a free speech alternative to mainstream social media platforms, particularly targeting right-leaning users.
Ownership and Leadership
Parler has undergone several ownership changes since its founding, with the most recent change occurring in late 2023. The platform’s leadership structure has also evolved alongside these ownership transitions.
Current Ownership
Parler, the social media platform often associated with conservative users, is currently owned by a group of three co-owners. In December 2023, the company was sold to a new co-owner group consisting of Ryan Rhodes, Elise Pierotti, and Jaco Booyens. This change came after several previous ownership shifts.
Before this transition, Parler was briefly owned by Starboard, a digital media company. Starboard had acquired Parler in April 2023 from Parlement Technologies Inc. This acquisition happened months after a previously announced deal with musician Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) fell through.
Prior to these changes, the company was led by George Farmer, who served as CEO during an earlier period of the platform’s development.
Leadership Team
Ryan Rhodes currently serves as the CEO of Parler, having been appointed to this position when the new ownership group took over in December 2023. Rhodes leads the company alongside his co-owners.
Elise Pierotti brings insider knowledge to the ownership team, as she previously worked as a Parler executive before becoming one of the three co-owners. Her experience with the platform likely provides valuable continuity during the transition.
Jaco Booyens completes the ownership trio. Together, these three individuals are working to relaunch the platform. According to statements from the ownership team, they plan to relaunch Parler in 2024, positioning it for the election cycle.
Company History
Parler has changed ownership several times since its founding, with each transition marking significant shifts in the platform’s direction and public perception.
Founding and Initial Growth
Parler was created in 2018 by John Matze, who launched it as a “free speech” alternative to mainstream social media platforms. Matze, then 27 years old, founded the company after graduating from the University of Denver with fellow graduate Jared Thomson.
The platform was designed to be a space with minimal content moderation. Early on, Parler positioned itself as a Twitter alternative that wouldn’t “censor” conservative viewpoints.
Behind the scenes, Rebekah Mercer, a conservative donor, was revealed to be a significant financial backer of the platform. Her involvement helped the app gain traction among right-wing users looking for alternatives to traditional social media.
By 2020, Parler had experienced substantial growth as conservative figures and their followers joined the platform.
Acquisition by Kanye West and PDS Partners
In October 2022, rapper Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) announced plans to acquire Parler. This came after Ye had been restricted from other social platforms following controversial statements.
However, the deal with Ye fell through in December 2022. Instead, Parler was later acquired by Starboard, a digital media company, in April 2023.
Interestingly, Starboard quickly determined that Parler was not commercially viable as a “Twitter clone” and shut down the consumer-facing service. They felt the platform couldn’t compete effectively in the social media landscape.
In December 2023, new owners entered the picture when Parler was purchased by Melinda and Ryan Rhodes-Pierotti. They bought the app from Starboard with plans to relaunch it ahead of the 2024 election.
Relevance to Jan. 6 Attack on U.S. Capitol
Parler gained notoriety for its connection to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The platform became a gathering place for many who participated in the events of that day.
Following the attack, Parler faced severe consequences. Apple and Google removed the app from their stores, citing concerns about the platform’s role in planning the Capitol riot and its inadequate content moderation.
Amazon Web Services also terminated Parler’s hosting, effectively taking the site offline. This triple blow left Parler scrambling to find new service providers and rebuild its infrastructure.
The platform’s association with the Capitol attack significantly damaged its reputation and led to increased scrutiny from lawmakers and the public regarding its content policies. This episode remains a defining moment in Parler’s history.
Platform and Features
Parler’s platform design and functionality reflect its core mission as an alternative social media service. It offers unique tools and a distinct user experience compared to mainstream platforms.
Ideology and Mission
Parler positions itself as a champion of free speech in the social media landscape. The platform was built on the idea of creating a digital “marketplace of ideas” where users could share opinions with minimal content moderation.
Unlike other social networks, Parler has historically emphasized limited censorship. This approach attracted users who felt their views were being suppressed on mainstream platforms.
The platform’s mission statement focuses on empowering users to speak freely. Its founders believed that open discourse, even when controversial, strengthens democracy and individual liberty.
Parler’s commitment to free expression has been both its main selling point and a source of criticism. Some view it as a necessary alternative, while others argue it allows harmful content to spread.
User Experience and Filters
Parler’s interface resembles other social networks but with some unique features. Users can create profiles, follow others, and share content in a format similar to Twitter.
The platform uses terms like “Parleys” instead of tweets or posts. Users can “Echo” content (similar to retweets) and vote on posts they appreciate.
Parler’s content filters are less restrictive than those on mainstream platforms. While basic community guidelines exist, the threshold for removing content is higher.
The platform does offer personal filtering options, allowing users to customize their experience. People can choose to block certain topics or users without those posts being removed from the platform entirely.
This approach creates a more user-controlled environment where individuals, rather than platform moderators, decide what content they see.
User Demographics and Base
Parler’s user base has distinct characteristics that set it apart from mainstream social media platforms. The platform’s demographics reveal important insights about who uses this alternative social network and how it compares to more established platforms.
Conservative User Base
Parler has primarily attracted a conservative-leaning audience since its launch in 2018. The platform bills itself as an unbiased and free speech alternative to larger social media platforms, which has resonated with right-wing users. This positioning helped Parler gain popularity among conservatives who felt censored on other platforms.
Research indicates that military veterans and active-duty personnel were more likely to be Parler users compared to the general population. This demographic pattern emerged in studies of the platform’s user base.
While the majority of Parler users are white, the platform has seen some diversification. As Parler grew, it began attracting more non-white users, though its overall user base remains predominantly white.
Comparison With Other Social Platforms
Parler’s user numbers pale in comparison to giants like Twitter and Instagram. As of January 2022, Parler had approximately 15 million users with only 802 moderators managing this community. This ratio shows a significant difference in moderation approaches compared to mainstream platforms.
Parler experienced dramatic growth spurts tied to political events. After former President Trump was removed from Twitter and Facebook, Parler saw its user base grow by as much as 175 percent between January 8-10, demonstrating how platform migrations often follow contentious political moments.
The platform differs from Twitter and Instagram in its content policies and appeal. While mainstream platforms have broad demographic reach, Parler’s user base remains more politically homogeneous, catering primarily to those with right-wing viewpoints seeking less content moderation.
Business Model
Parler has evolved its approach to making money since its launch as a free speech alternative to mainstream social media platforms. The company has experimented with different revenue strategies while maintaining its core mission.
Funding and Revenue Streams
Unlike many social media platforms, Parler initially planned to avoid traditional advertising. According to CNBC, CEO John Matze stated that the platform would not be pushing ads as part of its business model. Instead, Parler explored alternative revenue approaches.
The platform considered using an influencer marketplace model. This would connect content creators with advertisers directly, with Parler taking a percentage of transactions.
Another potential revenue stream involved a matching algorithm for businesses. This would help companies find communities that might be interested in their products without traditional targeted advertising.
Parler has also received private funding from investors who supported its mission of creating a less-restricted social media environment.
Digital Media Conglomerate
In April 2023, Parler underwent a significant ownership change. It was acquired by Starboard, a digital media conglomerate previously known as Olympic Media. This acquisition marked a new chapter for the platform’s business approach.
Starboard temporarily took down the app following the acquisition. They did this to restructure and reimagine its business model. The company likely saw potential in Parler’s established conservative user base.
More recently, Parler has diversified its business interests. The platform purchased select software and hardware assets from Edgecast as part of Edgio’s bankruptcy proceedings. This move suggests a potential expansion beyond just social media into data center and infrastructure operations.
Controversies and Challenges
Parler has faced significant hurdles since its launch, particularly regarding its approach to content moderation and its relationships with major tech platforms. These issues have shaped the platform’s development and public perception.
Content Policies and Regulation
Parler initially gained popularity by promoting itself as a “free speech” alternative to mainstream social media. However, this approach led to serious problems. The platform became rife with misinformation, including many false claims about voter fraud.
Critics argued that Parler’s minimal content moderation created an environment where harmful content could spread unchecked. The platform struggled to balance its free speech ideals with growing pressure to regulate dangerous content.
Some users valued the hands-off approach, but others worried about the spread of extremist viewpoints. The debate around Parler highlighted the challenges of content moderation in social media.
App Store Removals and Relaunch
In January 2021, both Apple and Google removed Parler from their app stores. This action came after concerns about the platform’s role in the January 6 Capitol riots. Amazon Web Services also terminated Parler’s hosting services, forcing the site offline.
The platform remained unavailable for weeks before finding new hosting. After implementing some content moderation changes, Parler eventually returned to the Apple App Store in May 2021.
More recently, there have been plans for a Parler rebirth in 2024 under new ownership. Texas-based PDS Partners acquired the platform with apparent intentions to relaunch it during the 2024 election cycle.
Competitive Landscape
Parler operates in a crowded social media marketplace where free speech platforms compete for users who seek alternatives to mainstream services. The platform faces challenges from both established networks and newer conservative-focused alternatives.
Competitors and Market Position
Parler positions itself as a free speech alternative to mainstream social media platforms like Twitter. Since Elon Musk acquired Twitter (now X), the competitive landscape has shifted significantly.
Parler’s most direct rival is Truth Social, launched by former President Donald Trump. Both platforms target conservative users who feel silenced on mainstream platforms.
Despite new ownership under Ryan Rhodes as CEO, Parler struggles to maintain relevance compared to larger platforms. Its market position remains niche compared to Twitter’s massive user base.
When AWS terminated Parler’s hosting, it demonstrated the challenges faced by alternative platforms in maintaining technical infrastructure.
Evolving Social Media Ecosystem
The social media landscape continues to evolve with users increasingly seeking platforms aligned with their values and speech policies. Parler exists in an ecosystem where platform policies around content moderation are central to user choice.
Since Parler is a private company, it doesn’t face the same shareholder pressures as public companies like Meta or Twitter. This gives Parler flexibility in its business approach.
As Twitter under Elon Musk has shifted toward more permissive speech policies, Parler’s unique selling proposition has potentially weakened. This has forced the platform to reconsider its market differentiation.
New ownership and potential strategic changes may help Parler find fresh opportunities in the changing social media landscape.
Future Outlook
Parler’s new ownership team is working to redefine the platform’s position in the social media landscape. Their approach balances free expression values with plans to address past controversies.
Strategic Plans for Growth
The new Parler owners plan to relaunch the platform in early 2024, signaling a fresh start. Under CEO Ryan Rhodes’s leadership, the team aims to rebrand Parler as a “marketplace of ideas” rather than just a right-wing alternative.
They’re focusing on attracting a broader user base while maintaining their free speech principles. This includes developing new features that could appeal to users concerned about censorship on mainstream platforms.
The team has hinted at updated content moderation policies that will protect free expression while addressing concerns that plagued the platform previously. They want to position Parler as a mature alternative in the social media ecosystem.
Adapting to Market Changes
Parler faces significant challenges in today’s competitive social media landscape. The new ownership group must differentiate the platform from similar offerings like Truth Social and X (formerly Twitter).
They’re exploring partnerships with content creators and developing features that support diverse conversations. The team believes there’s still demand for platforms that emphasize minimal moderation.
A key strategy involves rebuilding trust with app stores and hosting services that previously removed Parler. This requires balancing free expression with responsible platform management.
The new Parler will need to navigate changing regulatory landscapes around social media content while staying true to its core values. Their success depends on creating a space that feels welcoming to users across the political spectrum.
