WhenSpotify Started her career in 2006, not sure she thought she would have to deal with such a case. It did not plan to be a social network, like the big Facebook and Tiktok that deal with issues of freedom of expression, and yet found itself in a storm on the boundaries of discourse. After the company allowed to spread problematic remarks about Corona and misinformation, two great artists asked it to remove their songs as a protest from the arena eight 381 million monthly active users and 172 million paid subscribers.
In recent days, many surfers have decided to use the hashtag “#BoycottSpotify” as part of a protest alongside those who supported it. Apple has already managed to show the songs that are missing from Spotify in its arena. This storm started five days ago, and meanwhile the sound giant’s share fell 7.8% and the company’s market capitalization fell by $ 2 billion, while the Nasdaq rose 1.17% and the S&P 500 rose 1.49%.
Controversial podcast
In 2020, Spotify decided to acquire Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan’s podcast, for what was reported to be more than $ 100 million. This is a controversial podcast mainly because of its presenter, Joe Rogen, and we have been hearing harsh criticism of it ever since. In the past, Rogen has managed to spread definite Pike News about the Corona, critics say. For example, the famous stand-up comedian claimed that healthy young people should not get the vaccine, and that the masks are “For Bitches”.
Singer Neil Young. Started the Storm / Photo: Associated Press, Rebecca Cabage
From that point on Spotify has garnered harsh criticism of it, both from scientists and medical professionals. It was also recently reported worldwide that 270 doctors and health professionals wrote an open letter to the company, asking it to take action against the podcast, along with accusations of disseminating misinformation. Spotify in response released its year summaries and claimed it was a balanced podcast around the world.
The affair heated up even more when rocker Neil Young released an open letter demanding that Spotify remove his music from the platform because he did not want to share the arena with Joe Rogen’s podcaster. Young even described Spotify as “a house of misinformation and life-threatening information about the Corona.” The Wall Street Journal reported that Spotify had indeed removed his music.
What is forbidden and what is allowed
Dusty Jenkins, head of global public relations at Spotify, issued a statement to employees addressing workers’ concerns, and that Neil Young had removed his music in protest, The Verge reported. She said the company had reviewed a number of problematic and controversial episodes of the podcast, but stated that they did not “meet the removal threshold”. She wrote that Spotify employs an in-house team of experts and staff with third-party companies, all of whom advise “and help us update our policies in light of what is happening in the world around us.”
The company also responded to Young’s move, saying it has a policy of removing misleading content from its arena, and has even removed more than 20,000 episodes of corona-related podcasts and misinformation since the plague began. Jenkins explained that Spotify’s mistake was that they did not publish the policy faster. “A great responsibility is needed to balance the safety of listeners and the freedom of the creators. We commend Neil’s decision to remove his music from Spotify, and hope to get it back soon,” Spotify said in response to worldwide reports.
Need to explain: Spotify’s policy states that any misleading content that is dangerous on health issues that could cause physical harm or pose a direct threat to public health – will be prohibited. If someone denies the existence of corona or AIDS, if they are encouraged to intentionally contract the disease, if they are encouraged to consume bleach to cure the disease – its contents will be removed. In fact, under current policies, people can say that vaccines can cause death, but they will not be allowed to say that this is the purpose of the vaccine. Another example – it would be permissible to say that wearing a mask is ineffective, but it would not be permissible to say that wearing a mask causes life-threatening damage. So in fact Joe Rogen does not violate Spotify’s Terms of Use and Rules.
Will more artists join?
Neil Young was not left alone, Johnny Mitchell decided to remove all her music from Spotify. “I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue,” the artist wrote on her website.
Dr. Shai Cohen, head of the Department of Music, Technology and Visual Media at Bar Ilan University, explains that the event is a story of social and political relations and not of music. “They are from the era that heard their music on records and CDs, their careers are not being built now or again on Spotify,” he explained.
Dr. Shai Cohen denies the situation that the struggle will expand and more artists will join it: “I do not think there will be a drift and no more artists will join this protest. The situation is just like on social media: everyone knows there are bad things there, but people still stay there. Like social media, Spotify has become a strong hub that everyone corresponds with to be present. In that case, it was Spotify, it could have been anywhere else. “
Dr. Cohen summed up his remarks with questions about the current situation. “This story floods the question about new artists who are supported by Spotify and it is their only source to succeed. And once there is a mechanism that decides to download content according to their mother’s decision, it raises questions about the situation we are in. Because we are in a time when content is scattered in many places, Spotify is just one of the options. If it would not be there, it would be on YouTube. In the end, it is an economic and not a musical consideration or a content. “