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Joe Rogan: Is Covid misinformation row a problem for Spotify?

Could Spotify risk their reputation as 'hosts of the world's music' if more artists leave in protest at Joe Rogan's podcast?

Spotify podcast Joe Rogan has been criticised for spreading misinformation about Covid via interviews with vaccine sceptics on his podcast. Artists such as Joni Mitchell and Neil Young have pulled songs from the streaming service in protest. Spotify has since said it is working to add advisory warnings to any podcast discussing Covid-19 and Joe Rogan has pledged to try harder to offer more balanced views on his podcast.

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ tech correspondent James Clayton explains the practical implications of this scandal and how worried Spotify should actually be. He says that the problem could be serious as, unlike previous debates where social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have seen themselves as publishing other individuals' or organisations' content, Spotify has commissioned this content. He says it's a grey area - and if more artists leave Spotify because of this, it could start to cause problems for the platform as they have always promoted their company as the place where people can find the world's music.

Photo: Joe Rogan performs at a comedy club in the US Credit: Getty Images

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4 minutes