Spotify is adding a “content advisory” to any podcast episodes that discuss COVID-19 on the platform. The new feature comes after several high-profile artists, including legendary folk singers Joni Mitchell and Neil Young, have had their music catalogs removed from the site due to concerns regarding misinformation.
Daniel Ek, Spotify’s CEO and co-founder, explained the company’s decision in a statement on Saturday.
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“You’ve had a lot of questions over the last few days about our platform policies and the lines we have drawn between what is acceptable and what is not. We have had rules in place for many years but admittedly, we haven’t been transparent around the policies that guide our content more broadly,” Ek admitted. “This, in turn, led to questions around their application to serious issues including COVID-19.”
Ek goes on to say that Spotify will be publishing their “Platform Rules,” and attempting to make creators more aware of those rules by highlighting them in their publisher tools.
While Joe Rogan isn’t mentioned in Ek’s statement, much of the backlash regarding misinformation on COVID-19 and vaccines stems from coverage of the coronavirus pandemic on the comedian’s popular podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience.
[Via]