Spotify CEO Daniel Ek
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For relevant podcasts, Spotify intends to add a content reference to Covid-19 in the future, the streaming service has now announced. The group seems to be responding to the protests of several artists who had complained about the spread of misinformation about the corona virus on the platform.
The protest was initiated by musician Neil Young, who criticized the fact that US podcaster Joe Rogan’s content that downplayed the corona virus was allowed to be published on the platform, and therefore withdrew his music from Spotify. In the meantime, other greats of show business have followed, such as singer Joni Mitchell or Crazy Horse member Nils Lofgren.
New Spotify strategy and clear corona rules
In an official statement, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has now explained how the group intends to counter misinformation in the future. A central part of the strategy will be content notes to be added to every podcast episode that addresses the topic of the corona virus.
The warning directs users to Spotify’s Covid-19 Hub page, where fact-based content and information about the coronavirus can be found provided by researchers and authorities around the world, the release said. The alerts would be the first of its kind from a major podcast platform and would be rolling out in various countries in the coming days.
Spotify has also made its platform rules public for the first time, which define what podcasters can and cannot publish. There is also a rule that prohibits podcasters from sharing false or misleading medical information that could pose a threat to public health.
This would include content that considers Covid-19 to be a false report or not real, or if users are called on to intentionally become infected with Corona. The rules stipulate that this content could then be removed by Spotify. Repeated misconduct could also result in a total publication ban for podcasters.
Neil Young met Spotify
Spotify lost over $2 billion in market value after Neil Young had his music removed from platforms. The musician had decided to take this step, according to his own statements, because the misinformation about vaccinations could, in the worst case, lead to deaths in people who would believe this content. “You can have Rogan or Young. But not both,” said the musician.
Other celebrities have now joined the protests. Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan Markle said they expressed concerns about misinformation to Spotify last year. The two are connected to Spotify through their production company, Archwell Audio.
At the beginning of January, scientists and physicians wrote an open letter calling on Spotify to do something about misinformation in connection with Covid-19. The letter, signed by 270 people, specifically referred to statements from Joe Rogan’s podcast. Rogan’s behavior is not only offensive and insulting, but also dangerous, according to the signers of the letter.