Spotify to add content advisory when podcasts mention Covid

Audio streaming giant Spotify said Sunday it will add content advisories to any material mentioning Covid-19, and direct its users to public health sites for more information.

Spotify is facing backlash for its decision to continue to air the popular podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience,” despite concerns that it is spreading Covid misinformation. Host Joe Rogan interviewed Dr. Robert Malone, an infectious disease specialist who has become well-known among anti-vaccine Americans. Malone has been banned from Twitter.

On Saturday, guitarist Nils Lofgren, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, became the latest musician to pull songs from Spotify to protest the streaming service carrying Rogan’s podcast.

Posted to its website, the statement from Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said that the streaming service includes creators with diverse opinions, including those “of individuals and views on Spotify that I disagree with strongly.” He did not mention Rogan by name.