Spotify will now add a content advisory on Podcasts discussing COVID-19 amidst the Neil Young and Joe Rogan fallout. The advisory will reportedly direct listeners to a resource. The resource will contain all the latest information released by medical experts and authorities on public help.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the move to source experts before playing podcasts comes after Neil Young pulled his songs from the platform after learning of COVID-19 misinformation spread by podcasts on the service. Specifically, The Joe Rogan Experience, a podcast now exclusive to Spotify, has received backlash for sharing misinformation about the virus.
For instance, last December, The Joe Rogan Experience played host to Dr. Robert Malone. On the podcast, Dr. Robert Malone promoted theories about COVID vaccines not backed by medical experts and the scientific community. The Joe Rogan Experience is currently the most listened-to podcast on the platform.
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek Says ‘We’ve Heard You’
Spotify has introduced the new content advisory feature with a statement written by CEO Daniel Ek attached.
“You’ve had a lot of questions over the last few days about our platform policies and the lines we have drawn between what is acceptable and what is not. We have had rules in place for many years but admittedly, we haven’t been transparent around the policies that guide our content more broadly,” he wrote.
“Based on the feedback over the last several weeks, it’s become clear to me that we have an obligation to do more to provide balance and access to widely-accepted information from the medical and scientific communities guiding us through this unprecedented time. These issues are incredibly complex. We’ve heard you – especially those from the medical and scientific communities.”
The service has lost over $2 billion in market value as of yesterday. According to Variety, Spotify investors are particularly concerned about more and more artists deciding to leave the platform, which can result in subscribers deciding to do the same.
Neil Young Further Explained His Move in a Statement
Neil Young decided to remove his music from the platform in response to Spotify allowing vaccine information. In response, musicians Joni Mitchell and Nils Lofgren also agreed to pull their catalogs. The musicians cited an open letter to Spotify from 270 experts in the scientific and medical communities. The letter called on the streaming service to address misinformation spread on the platform.
“I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform,” Neil Young stated in an open letter. “They can have [Joe] Rogan or Young. Not both.”
“I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines – potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them,” he continued.