Music streaming service Spotify Technology says it will add a “content advisory” to any podcast episode that includes discussion about COVID-19, Chief Executive Officer Daniel Ek said, after coming under fire from rock and folk legends for giving voice to misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.
“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,” Ek wrote.
“This new effort to combat misinformation will roll out to countries around the world in the coming days,” Ek wrote in a blog post published Sunday. “To our knowledge, this content advisory is the first of its kind by a major podcast platform.”
Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife Meghan also expressed their concern to Spotify about COVID-19 misinformation on its platform and are committed to continuing to work with the company, a spokesperson for their Archewell foundation said on Sunday.
“Last April, our co-founders began expressing concerns to our partners at Spotify about the all-too-real consequences of COVID-19 misinformation on its platform,” the statement said. “We have continued to express our concerns to Spotify to ensure changes to its platform are made to help address this public health crisis.”
The move comes after singer-songwriter Neil Young and Joni Mitchell announced they are removing their music from Spotify in protest that the popular streaming service has allowed the airing of misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.
Joni Mitchell, the Canadian singer said in joining Young’s protest: “Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives.” She also posted on her website an open letter from more than 250 health professionals, scientists and academics calling on Spotify to implement a misinformation policy and citing Rogan specifically.
In a tweet on Saturday best-selling author Brene Brown — host of the Spotify-exclusive podcasts “Unlocking Us” and “Dare to Lead” — said she would “not be releasing any podcasts until further notice.”
Spotify is also publishing platform rules for its creators, according to Ek’s post.
“We know we have a critical role to play in supporting creator expression while balancing it with the safety of our users,” he wrote. “In that role, it is important to me that we don’t take on the position of being content censor while also making sure that there are rules in place and consequences for those who violate them.”
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