The Swedish online music giant announced Sunday that Spotify will take steps to combat misinformation about COVID-19 on its platform, following a boycott initiated by popular rock legend Neil Young.
• Read also: Joni Mitchell follows Neil Young and pulled from Spotify
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number one in the world flow Music in particular will offer links in all of its COVID-evoked audio files, which will direct its users to factual information and scientific sources, CEO and founder Daniel Ek announced.
“Based on the feedback we have received over the past few weeks, it has become clear to me that we have an obligation to do more to provide balance and access to information widely accepted by the medical and scientific communities” with the current situation, said the Swedish billionaire.
These new efforts to combat misinformation will be launched in countries around the world in the coming days. As far as we know, these content tips are a first for the major podcast platform.
Spotify also released its rules of use on Sunday and says it is “testing ways” to give podcast creators a better indication of “what’s acceptable,” without publicly discussing any sanction measures.
The announcement follows the growing controversy raised by Canadian-American Neil Young, who this week announced that his music would be withdrawn from the Swedish platform if he did not give up hosting the controversial podcast, but he has listened widely to American host Joe Roger.
The latter is accused of discouraging vaccination among young people and pressing for the use of an unauthorized treatment, ivermectin, against the coronavirus.
An online movement has been launched to unsubscribe from the platform on social networks, and country singer Joni Mitchell, in turn, announced her withdrawal from Spotify on Friday.
The controversy has also fueled controversy over the new responsibilities of streaming platforms over disinformation, such as the measures that social networks such as Facebook have taken in recent years.
Ryan MacDonald is a contributor at Vaughantoday.ca, covering a wide range of topics including local news, politics, business, technology, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. He focuses on clear, accurate reporting and delivering useful information that helps readers stay informed about current events and community developments. Ryan is committed to presenting stories in a balanced and accessible way, highlighting issues, trends, and updates that matter most to readers in Vaughan and across Canada.