Many of the songs had titles containing keywords such as “vaccine” and “mask”, suggesting it would be easy for Spotify to locate them if it wanted to. In some cases the algorithm directed listeners to content with low numbers of plays, potentially amplifying the reach of misinformation that would otherwise have had a small audience. However, the anti-vaccine songs, which contain lyrics in some cases far more extreme than those podcasts, did not carry a content warning. It also said it would add content advisories to podcast episodes discussing Covid-19. In response to that criticism, Spotify deleted several episodes and published new rules telling those uploading content to avoid claiming Covid-19 is a hoax and spreading anti-vaccine misinformation. Guests on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, have included Robert Malone, a controversial infectious-disease researcher who was involved in the development of mRNA vaccine technology but has been criticised for spreading vaccine misinformation. Several artists including Neil Young and Joni Mitchell demanded their content be removed from Spotify in protest at Rogan’s alleged role in spreading misinformation about Covid-19, and 270 US doctors, scientists, healthcare professionals and professors wrote to the platform calling Rogan “a menace to public health” for airing anti-vaccine ideology. Neil Young demanded his music be removed from Spotify in protest over alleged Covid misinformation. In December, he was filmed performing the song at a protest with Piers Corbyn, a key figure in the UK’s anti-vaccine movement. Remeece has visited primary and secondary schools in London, Cornwall and Bournemouth, according to videos posted on his Instagram feed. The lyrics of the song – among those that remained live on Spotify last week – repeatedly say “don’t tek the damn thing” and “you mad”, and describe the vaccine as “poison”. Some had references to other conspiracy theories, including claims that satanic paedophiles run the world, and that the Sandy Hook school shooting in the US, which left 26 dead, was a hoax.Īmong the artists whose content was recommended to users was Edward Freeman, a rapper known as Remeece, who made headlines in the UK after touring schools blasting his anti-vaccine anthem Don’t Tek Di Vaccine to pupils outside school gates. One user who played a song containing anti-vaccine lyrics was given a personalised playlist directing them to even more extreme songsOf the 50 songs in that playlist, 19 included explicit references to anti-vaccine and Covid misinformation, including claims the vaccine is being used to microchip people. ![]() But they were also actively promoted to users who express interest in similar songs via automatically generated playlists, potentially bringing them to a far wider audience. Spotify this weekend removed several of the songs flagged to it by the Observer, which it said breached rules banning content that promotes “dangerous, false, or deceptive content about Covid-19” that may pose a threat to public health.īefore being removed, the songs could be easily found using keywords through Spotify’s search tool. Can’t you see what’s unfolding?” say the lyrics of another, adding: “The whole thing ends once the people have risen.” “They fooled the whole world with PCR testing.
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