Spotify has said that will add a content advisory to any podcast that includes discussion about Covid-19, after receiving much criticism for hosting Covid-19 misinformation from stalwarts of the music industry.
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said in a blog post that the move is meant to combat misinformation, and will roll out to countries across the world in the coming days.
The advisory will direct listeners to a Covid-19 hub, which contains facts and information from medical and health experts.
The move comes after music legend Neil Young wrote an open letter to Spotify, demanding that they remove all of his music from the platform. Young took issue with Spotify’s promotion of podcast host Joe Rogan, saying that Rogan is “spreading false information about vaccines.” Musician Joni Mitchell soon followed suit, demanding her music be removed as well.
According to reports, Spotify’s market cap fell by $2.1 billion after Neil Young’s songs were removed.
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Spotify signed Joe Rogan to an exclusive multi-year contract in 2020 worth more than $100 million.
Joe Rogan posted a video statement over the issue on his Instagram, where he apologised for offence caused, but defended the credentials of his guests. He also took issue with the term ‘misinformation’. Rogan also said he supported Spotify’s move to add a Covid-19 advisory, and promised to do more research before his shows.