Parler, a right-of-center social media website that shut down earlier this year, is set to make a comeback after being acquired by a Texas based company.
On Tuesday, the company announced it was looking to relaunch Parler as a social media platform in early 2024 after it was quietly purchased by PDS Partners. A spokesperson for the company said it wanted to “return [Parler] to its roots as a robust marketplace of ideas.”
“We’re thrilled to announce the acquisition of Parler, a platform synonymous with free speech and open dialogue,” Elise Pierotti, the chief marketing officer of PDS Partners, said in a statement. “Our commitment is to reinstate Parler as a seamless and secure environment for users to exchange ideas. With the integration of our hyper-scaled private cloud, Parler is not only returning online but coming back with an enhanced user experience.”
Officials said Parler would return as a “dynamic and user-friendly space,” though it wasn’t immediately clear what this would entail.
What is clear is that Parler will not rely on third-party hosting providers to power the service, as was the case when Amazon Web Services famously pulled the plug on Parler two years ago. Instead, Parler will operate through a “hyper-scaled private cloud,” the company said, which will allow users to feel “empowered” and further Parler’s “commitment to free speech with the latest technological advancements.”
“Parler is coming back online with a better user experience,” Ryan Rhodes, the newly-minted CEO of Parler, said on Tuesday. “Our vision is to provide a user-friendly space for free expression.”
