- Neil Young wants to pull all of his music from Spotify over COVID-19 misinformation.
- Health professionals previously called on Spotify to mitigate the spread of misinformation.
- Young and the health professionals’ statements were directed at misinformation on Joe Rogan’s podcast.
Musician Neil Young has demanded that his music be removed from Spotify over COVID-19 vaccine misinformation, Rolling Stone reported.
“I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines – potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them,” Young said in a memo, according to Rolling Stone.
Young referenced COVID-19 misinformation that was promoted by Joe Rogan on his “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast.
“They can have [Joe] Rogan or Young. Not both,” Young wrote.
The open letter was addressed to Young’s manager, Frank Gironda, as well as Tom Corson, the co-chairman and chief operating officer of Warner Records.
Earlier this month, 270 doctors, nurses, scientists, and educators signed an open letter calling on Spotify to mitigate the spread of misinformation after an episode of Rogan’s podcast.
In an episode late last month, Rogan, who signed an estimated $100 million exclusive deal with Spotify in 2020, interviewed Robert Malone, a scientist who claimed Americans were being “hypnotized” into following COVID-19 measures because of “mass formation psychosis.”
Psychology experts have said there is no evidence for Malone’s claims.
YouTube removed the podcast episode for violating its COVID-19 misinformation policy.
Spotify has said Rogan’s podcast was the platform’s most popular podcast in 2021.
“Spotify has a responsibility to mitigate the spread of misinformation on its platform, though the company presently has no misinformation policy,” the health professionals letter to Spotify said.
Insider has reached out to Spotify, Warner Records, and a representative for Young for comment.
