After coming under fire from rock and folk legends for giving voice to misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said the company will add a “content advisory” to any podcast episode that includes a discussion about COVID-19.
This is kind of an odd response from Spotify because it is not a platform (which would be protected from responsibility under Act 230), but rather a publisher of Joe Rogan’s podcast and, therefore, is solely responsible for its content. (BTW, this is not a First Amendment issue, as the government is not involved in any way.)
Importantly, Spotify is a private company choosing how it wants to do business. Neil Young and Joni Mitchell are private citizens choosing how they want to do business. You get to choose how you want to do business. As always, consumers (and advertisers) will vote with their checkbooks.
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it.