Spotify Introduces Content Warnings on COVID-19

After a recent controversy about vaccines, Spotify has decided to add content warnings to any podcast that covers the Covid-19 topic.

The CEO of the company has stated in a private blog that the service is following a clear policy regarding platform rules both for users and creators.

The guideline contains a section that prohibits the spread of content that promotes false or dangerous information regarding medical questions that can cause harm or endanger the state of the public.

Reading further into these rules, you can find that the following actions are also going against the rules of the platform: promoting or suggesting that vaccines are designed for destruction purposes, claiming that pandemic and Covid-19 is fake or setup, and leading people to get infected with Covid to build up immunity.

The controversy originated from the Joe Rogan podcast under his name. There the host claimed that the younger generation should not get vaccinated, as they have naturally strong immunity.

Following this statement, some creators like Neil Young proceeded to make an ultimatum regarding the rules of the streaming service. The singer said that he would remove the whole catalog of his music if The Joe Rogan Experience case will not be dealt with correctly. Joni Mitchell also supported the idea of the creator.

Spotify was hesitant to proceed with any actions against Joe Rogan. Of course, the app is afraid to lose a big deal that supposedly cost over $100 million and established the release of the ongoing series and previous episodes. Despite that, Spotify has lost $2 billion in market value due to the controversy.

The specific date of release of content warnings is still unknown. Do you think these actions will help the problem? What other measures can Spotify take regarding Covid-19? Share your opinion in the comments below.