Spotify Adds “Content Advisory” To COVID-Related Content After Boycott By Neil Young

Spotify announced Sunday that it will be putting “content advisory” warning to all podcasts consisting of information about COVID-19 following the controversy involving the release of Joe Rogan’s podcast on the platform, which included COVID misinformation. Since Spotify failed to take action against spreading vaccine falsities on its platform, musicians – led by Neil Young – began threatening to pull their music from the platform in protest.

Alongside Young’s music, which Spotify agreed to remove Wednesday, Canadian musician Joni Mitchell posted on her website on Friday that she stands with Young and science on this issue. Similarly, Bruce Springsteen guitarist Nils Lofgren became the latest musician to stand out against Spotify on Sunday.

In the statement made by Spotify on Sunday, CEO Daniel Ek insisted that the platform would be taking a series of steps towards addressing COVID misinformation.

“We are working to add a content advisory to any podcast episode that includes a discussion about COVID-19,” he said. “This advisory will direct listeners to our dedicated COVID-19 Hub, a resource that provides 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. This new effort to combat misinformation will roll out to countries around the world in the coming days.”

Tara Mobasher: I'm a student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign studying journalism and criminology, law, & society.
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