New Parler CEO would rather turn a profit than be a champion for conservatives

The right-wing Parler social network sold last week to the media conglomerate Starboard, which promptly shut it down for a "strategic assessment," and it appears likely to move in a new direction.

The site's new owner operates the right-wing news sites American Wire News and BizPac Review and sells We the People, the "wine for conservatives," but its CEO would rather turn a profit than be seen as a champion for conservatives, reported Gizmodo.

“No reasonable person believes that a Twitter clone for conservatives is a viable business model,” said Starboard CEO Ryan Coyne. “This is not a politically motivated advocacy organization, the goal is business first. Parler has to be a self-sustaining business that generates the profitability necessary to fuel growth.”

Coyne isn't sure what the platform will be once it returns, but it's become clear that "alt tech" sites like Parler, Gettr and Truth Social that cater to right-wing users aren't very profitable -- although some disgruntled ex-employees are already plotting a new service based on the site's technology.

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“Parler has its roots as a conservative Twitter alternative, but to compete as a social media company, you’re going to have to be more than that,” Coyne said. “Our place in the ecosystem is going to be determined by the value that we bring by augmenting Parler’s technology.”

Advertisers aren't willing to do business with a platform known for white supremacists and Capitol rioters, and Coyne disavowed those associations and the site's history.

“Parler, in whatever form it takes, will not be a safe harbor for those engaging in or otherwise planning violence of any kind.”