Spotify CEO Daniel Ek on Sunday spoke out publicly about the controversy that ‘s blown up over the Joe Rogan podcast and COVID-19 vaccine …
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek on Sunday spoke out publicly about the controversy that ‘s blown up over the Joe Rogan podcast and COVID-19 vaccine misinformation, sparked by an ultimatum from famed rocker Neil Young. Ek noted in a blog post that doctors and scientists as well as Spotify subscribers have raised questions about the company’s policies and « the lines we have drawn between what is acceptable and what is not. » He also acknowledged that Spotify hasn’t been transparent about its policies regarding content that it hosts. « It’s become clear to me, » Ek wrote, « 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. » In his blog post, Ek didn’t mention Rogan or Young by name. But both are central to the uproar over the content that Spotify, the world’s largest music streaming service by subscribers, presents to its users and the responsibilities that go along with that. Spotify has a $100 million deal to be the exclusive platform for Rogan’s podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, which in the past year has hosted a number of conspiracy theorists and people who oppose vaccines. These guests have spread misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines and unproven treatments for the disease.
