Spotify announces plans to flag Covid misinformation in podcasts but not remove them
Last week Spotify removed Neil Young’s music from its platform after the signer demanded the company remove Joe Rogan’s podcast from its catalogue.
Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and more have removed their music from Spotify while others also protest the company continuing to allow misinformation on the streaming service. The main focus has been Joe Rogan’s podcasts which have had interviews with vaccine sceptics and misinformation included as a result.
Now Spotify has announced that it is publishing its long-standing Platform Rules so the rules are clear for everyone and are also adding a content advisory to any podcast episode that includes a discussion about COVID-19.
Spotify CEO, Daniel Ek spoke about why the company isn’t taking the “…position of being content censor” while keeping people informed:
“We know we have a critical role to play in supporting creator expression while balancing it with the safety of our users. 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.”
The result here is those creators will still be free to express their views while, if those views include discussion about COVID-19 there will be labelling to point listeners to Spotify’s dedicated COVID-19 Hub. That hub is said to be a resource of data-driven facts and the latest information from trusted “scientists, physicians, academics and public health authorities around the world”.
So the content is staying, but at least listeners can also keep clearly informed.
