Glenn Beck Latest Conservative Personality to Join Parler, Says He Feels 'Freer Already'

Conservative radio show host Glenn Beck has said he feels "freer already" after signing up to the social network Parler. Beck, a well-known political commentator and former Fox News host, did not elaborate on why he had joined the app, which has become popular with conservative politicians and media figures. "I did it. I'm on Parler now. Look forward to seeing you over there along with several other BlazeTV hosts!" Beck announced to his 1.3 million Twitter followers. Beck, who joined four days ago, made his first Parler post on Monday, writing: "Still figuring this out but I wanted to hop on to let you know I feel freer already." The veteran media personality has since amassed close to 80,000 followers on Parler, which has attracted a surge of conservative users this month, at one point reaching the top of the iOS and Android download charts in the U.S. The app spiked in popularity after Joe Biden's victory over Donald Trump in the presidential election, with waves of right-wing social media users claiming they were restricted or censored on the mainstream sites Facebook and Twitter. Many users complained that Twitter had flagged and covered President Trump's posts in the run-up to the November 3 election. The platform placed warning labels on dozens of Trump's tweets for making misleading or false claims about the voting process. High-profile Parler users including Fox host Sean Hannity, Congressman Devin Nunes, Senator Ted Cruz and Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo have gained millions of followers on the platform, which claims to be focused on maintaining the free speech of its members. Steven Crowder, the host of Louder with Crowder on BlazeTV—Beck's internet television network—also posted a tweet yesterday saying he was making the move: "Guess who's officially on Parler." Crowder has more than 5 million YouTube subscribers and 1.3 million Twitter followers. He already has over 100,000 Parler followers. Another BlazeTV host, Mark Levin, has repeatedly urged his fans to move to Parler in recent weeks, claiming he is censored on the mainstream platforms. "I may not stay at Facebook or Twitter if they continue censoring me. And one day I'll have left their platforms. Parler is a wonderful alternative and is growing, and we need you there ASAP. It believes in truly open speech," Levin tweeted last Sunday. Parler is being backed by the hedge fund investor Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah Mercer, a conservative activist, The Wall Street Journal reported last Saturday. Robert Mercer is a former principal investor in Cambridge Analytica, a data consultancy that closed in 2018 after becoming embroiled in a Facebook data-harvesting scandal. The family invests in conservative causes, including political campaigns and media sites.

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Parler's CEO John Matze, who has pitched the platform as an alternative to Facebook and Twitter, confirmed the Journal report on Sunday. He said: "Bekah is a great friend, an American patriot, and most importantly committed to the Parler vision of neutrality and data privacy. We are grateful for her support since 2018 and her early faith in the founders has enabled us to reach these heights." In a post roughly one week ago, Matze said the site had two strategic investors—Dan Bongino and Jeffrey Wernick—but made no mention of the Mercer family.