Singer Neil Young has asked Spotify, in an open letter eventually removed from his site, to remove his music from the streaming platform, accusing him of disinformation about Covid and vaccines via the popular and controversial Joe Rogan’s podcasts .
“I am doing this because Spotify is spreading false information about vaccines – potentially causing the death of those who believe the misinformation they are spreading,” the legendary ‘Heart of Gold’ and ‘Harvest Moon’ singer wrote.
“I want you to let Spotify know TODAY that I want all of my music removed from their platform,” Young, 76, continues in the letter, which no longer appeared on the singer’s site on Tuesday, but which was reported by the Rolling Stone magazine website.
“They can have Rogan or Young. Not both,” added the American-Canadian artist, whose latest album, “Barn,” was released in late 2021.
Contacted by AFP, Spotify did not respond immediately. On Tuesday, Neil Young’s music was still on the platform.
Joe Rogan’s podcast (“The Joe Rogan Experience”) racks up millions of plays – he signed an estimated $100 million deal with Spotify last year – but is accused of being a platform that peddles conspiracy theories and misinformation, especially on Covid-19.
This martial arts specialist is accused of having discouraged vaccination among young people and of having pushed for the use of an unauthorized treatment, ivermectin, against the virus.
In December, 270 doctors, doctors and professors signed an open letter to Spotify asking it to do more to fight misinformation, “a societal problem of devastating proportions”.
Neil Young previously removed much of his musical repertoire from Spotify in 2015, citing sound quality issues. Then he changed his mind, pointing out that “that’s where people get music.”
The singer has his own online archive, where fans can subscribe to all of his music.
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