Over the last week, Spotify has gone from a streamer that pays artists a pittance to pariahs. For months, Joe Rogan, host of the most popular podcast in existence, has been spreading COVID misinformation, even bragging about taking medication also used to de-worm horses. Scientists have been calling Spotify out for platforming dangerous nonsense. But things went next level thanks to Neil Young, who became the first major musician to demand his work be removed from their coffers over Rogan’s reckless comments. Joni Mitchell followed suit. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who have a Spotify contract, released a stern statement “expressing concerns.”
Now Spotify is doing…well, something. As caught by The Daily Beast, Daniel Ek, the service’s CEO and co-founder, released a lengthy statement swearing they were taking some steps to combat the misinformation from which they profit. While admitting that “there are plenty of individuals and views on Spotify that I disagree with strongly,” Ek said they don’t want to “take on the position of being content censor.”
But they are doing three things. One is making their “Platform Rules,” which they’ve long given to those they work with, public. Another is reminding “creators” about said rules. And then there’s this: Any podcast episode that discusses COVID — including ones where proudly unvaccinated Joe Rogan is just asking questions about subjects he probably doesn’t understand — will be given a “content advisory,” as well as “easy access to data-driven facts, up-to-date information as shared by scientists, physicians, academics and public health authorities around the world, as well as links to trusted sources.”
Rogan’s name was not mentioned once.
So that should stop the spread of misinformation that’s ensuring a two-year-old public health crisis finally comes to an end. You can read Ek’s entire statement here.
(Via The Daily Beast)