Spotify announces content note amid anti-vax concerns by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Spotify has made a major change just hours after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle raised concerns about ‘Covid misinformation’ on the music streaming platform.

Spotify has announced it will add a content advisory note to any podcast episode about Covid-19 after complaints it was allowing misinformation to spread on its platform.

The company will send listeners to a page of Covid-19 facts, links to resources and data from trusted scientists and doctors.

“To our knowledge, this content advisory is the first of its kind by a major podcast platform,” Spotify said in a statement.

The advisory will begin around the world this week - but others are planned.

It will begin publishing its platform rules on the main website, and will be testing out ways to “highlight” them.

“I want you to know that from the very first days of the pandemic, Spotify has been biased toward action,” said CEO Daniel Ek.

“I trust our policies, the research and expertise that inform their development, and our aspiration to apply them in a way that allows for broad debate and discussion, within the lines. We take this seriously and will continue to partner with experts and invest heavily in our platform functionality and product capabilities for the benefit of creators and listeners alike,” he said.

It comes as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle hit out at Spotify after the streaming giant was accused of hosting anti-jab content by American podcaster Joe Rogan.

The couple have come under pressure to ditch their £18 million (A$34 million) mega-deal with the company over the US commentator’s views, according to The Sun.

In a statement, Harry and Meghan said they have spoken with Spotify bosses about their concerns.

“Since the inception of Archewell, we have worked to address the real-time global misinformation crisis.

“Hundreds of millions of people are affected by the serious harms of mis- and disinformation every day.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have issued a statement to Spotify, prompted by the controversy over podcaster Joe Rogan’s coronavirus views. Picture: AFP

“Last April, our co-founders began expressing concerns to our partners at Spotify about the all too real consequences of Covid misinformation on its platform.

“We have continued to express our concerns to Spotify to ensure changes to its platform are made to help address this public health crisis.

“We look to Spotify to meet this moment and are committed to continuing our work together as it does.”

Spotify has previously said it bans “false or dangerous deceptive content about Covid-19, which may cause offline harm and/or pose a direct threat to public health.”

The platform is home to podcast The Joe Rogan Experience - the top-rated show on the site - as well as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Archewell Audio.

WHAT PROMPTED THE ARCHEWELL STATEMENT

Podcaster Joe Rogan, 54, has stirred controversy with his views on the coronavirus pandemic.

In April 2021, Rogan stated his belief that young and healthy people should not be concerned about getting Covid-19.

He was criticised by White House chief medical Adviser Anthony Fauci, who accused him of making misleading comments.

Rogan backed down his statement, and called himself a “moron”.

Joe Rogan, Spotify’s hit podcaster. Picture: Supplied

Then in August 2021, Rogan expressed concern that government mandates in handling the pandemic such as vaccine passports would bring society “one step closer to dictatorship”.

In September 2021 Rogan tested positive for Covid-19 virus and shared his regimen including monoclonal antibodies, prednisone, azithromycin, NAD drip, a vitamin drip, as well as ivermectin, a drug usually taken to treat parasitic infestations in animals.

In January 2022, 270 scientists, physicians, professors, doctors, and healthcare workers wrote an open letter to Spotify expressing concern over “false and societally harmful assertions” on the The Joe Rogan Experience and asked Spotify to “establish a clear and public policy to moderate misinformation on its platform.”

Singer Neil Young (L); and Joe Rogan (R). Young demanded in an open letter to Spotify to remove his music from the platform he said is spreading vaccine disinformation via Rogan. Picture: AFP

On January 24, 2022, musician Neil Young posted an open letter threatening to remove his music from Spotify if they did not remove the podcast The Joe Rogan Experience from their service.

Two days later Spotify removed Young’s music; a spokesman said Spotify wanted “all the world’s music and audio content to be available to Spotify users” and that it had a “great responsibility in balancing both safety for listeners and freedom for creators”.

On January 29, Joni Mitchell removed her catalogue from Spotify in support of Young.

Singer Joni Mitchell has removed her music from Spotify in support of Neil Young. Picture: AFP

Prince Harry and Meghan’s carefully worded statement comes as four months ago, Prince Harry hit out at news and social media outlets for “peddling lies” about vaccines, claiming the only way to “overcome” Covid was to “break the system” of misinformation.

And he has also openly begged for vaccine equity, saying the vaccine should be distributed “to everyone everywhere”.

But royal biographer Angela Levin, who spent a year with Prince Harry, said she believes he’ll never give up his Spotify deal.

She told The Sun: “Harry has been accusing many countries, including the United Kingdom for not doing enough to vaccinate people around the world in poor countries.

“Now here he is working and earning money from a company [who have employed someone] who is an anti-vaxxer.”

Spotify has been waiting more than a year for Meghan and Harry to produce further podcast content.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have not delivered content for Spotify. Picture: Supplied

The company has now taken the Sussexes’ output “into their own hands”.

The streaming giant said it was looking forward to a “full-scale” launch of shows in 2021 - but nothing appeared.

And after the lengthy wait, a host of in-house producers have been hired to finally deliver content for the royals.

Spotify bosses are currently recruiting new in-house staff to work with Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Audio for a show that features “the voices of high profile women.”

But any material they produce from now on will have to compete for hits against Rogan’s show.

Ms Levin said: “I think there’s no chance Harry would leave [Spotify].

“One, because he has not left Netflix even though it has been incredibly rude about his mother and his father and all the Royal Family.

“He doesn’t seem to care.

“He also now has quite a reputation for being a hypocrite after lecturing us not to fly but flying himself on a private plane.”

— With The Sun.

Originally published as Spotify announces content note amid anti-vax concerns by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle