Parler Goes on Hiatus Following Its Acquisition

Parler could be making like a phoenix for the time being.

The new owner of the alternative social media platform is putting the app on an "indefinite hiatus" to undergo a "strategic assessment" following its acquisition by digital media conglomerate Starboard.

It is unclear if Starboard will re-launch Parler once it's done with its strategic assessment; the app first launched in 2018 before becoming controversial following the Jan. 6 Capitol siege, per CNET.

Parler Hiatus Details

Following its acquisition by its new owner, the alternative social media popular with conservatives was put into hiatus mode to undergo a strategic assessment so its audience can be integrated into its new owner's across all of its existing platforms, per Starboard's statement on the matter.

A quick visit to Parler's official website as of press time immediately shows this same statement to visitors, notifying them of the acquisition and the social media platform's subsequent hiatus. It also mentioned that no reasonable person no longer believes that a Twitter clone for conservatives is a viable business anymore.

Gizmodo mentioned in its article that Starboard seemingly took Parler's official website offline as soon as it announced the closing of its acquisition. On the other hand, Starboard founder and CEO Ryan Coyne mentioned to the Wall Street Journal that he intends to keep Parler on hiatus until Starboard has a plan to revive it "bigger and better than before."

Coyne added that its acquisition of Parler is a net good regardless of any challenges as it's a chance to offer unsupported online communities by building a home for them away from the "ad-hoc regulatory hand of platforms that hate them," as per the company's statement on the matter.

As for when the app would be back up again, Coyne mentioned in an email to Gizmodo that the company doesn't have a defined timeframe for the launch of what Parler will transition into. He also added that Starboard is not disclosing exact plans for its use of Parler's platform as of press time.

However, Coyne assures Parler users that Starboard will store and preserve their accounts and data.

Parler's Story - From Birth To Before Hiatus

Parler was first launched as an alternative social network in 2018 by University of Denver graduates Matze and Jared Thomson as they were tired of big tech not being transparent, its suppression of ideologies, and privacy abuses.

The social media network is a popular Twitter alternative especially for Ring-wing conservatives like Alex Jones even though its founders never intended it to be an echo chamber for them, though they don't care about their political affiliation.

Following the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, Apple and Google banned it from their app stores for spreading talks of guns and violence ahead of the siege. However, it eventually returned to app stores when it promised it would have better content moderation.

Kanye West, now known as Ye, previously wanted to buy the social media network in 2022, but the deal got terminated possibly due to Ye's antisemitic remarks in a podcast with Alex Jones.