Spotify will Warn of Fake News about Covid
Spotify said it is working to add advisory alerts to every podcast on its platform that discusses the coronavirus.
The director of the company Daniel Ek revealed the plans to ban the employees of the streaming giant from sharing “fraudulent” information that could pose a threat to public health.
He said the platform's new advisory warning would redirect users to a coronavirus fact data center.
The move follows criticism of the platform's work with Joe Rogan, an American podcast presenter who interviewed skeptics about vaccines.
Ek said the company will publish its “Platform Rules”, which will include guidelines for creators of what the platform describes as “dangerous” and “fraudulent” content.
The new rules have been developed by the company together with a team of external experts and will be regularly updated, said the Swedish billionaire.
The company has been criticized for the views of its star host Joe Rogan, who agreed to a $100 million deal to move his popular podcast exclusively to the platform in late 2020. Rogan allegedly does not promote vaccination among young people and recommends using of the antiparasitic drug ivermectin for the treatment of the virus.
This week, musicians Neil Young and Joni Mitchell became the first in a series of showmen to demand that their music be removed from the platform.
Young called the site “home to life-threatening disinformation about the pandemic” in a post on his website.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also informed Spotify about their “concerns” about the disinformation about Covid but they will continue to work with the platform.
“The Joe Rogan Experience” is still Spotify's most popular podcast, with 200 million monthly downloads.
/BGNES