Neil Young has issued a public challenge to music streaming service Spotify: Take action against Joe Rogan over Covid misinformation spread via the popular podcast, or remove all of my music.
“I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines – potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them. Please act on this immediately today and keep me informed of the time schedule,” Young wrote in an open letter he posted on his website.
Referring to the Joe Rogan Experience—the most-popular podcast on Spotify, which the platform acquired the rights to host for $100 million—Young said, “They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.”
The letter has since been taken down.
Rogan has often been critical of COVID-19 vaccines and has promoted alternative medicines and treatment. He recently hosted medical doctor Robert Malone, who claimed Americans were being “hypnotised” into wearing masks and getting vaccines. After this, 270 members of the science and medical community wrote an open letter to Spotify, warning that allowing these claims to go unchecked would “damage public trust ins scientific research and sow doubt upon the credibility of data-driven guidance offered by medical professionals”.
Young has yanked his music from Spotify before. In 2015, he took on the platform alleging the fidelity of music on the platform was below-par, removing his catalog from it. The next year, he returned his music to the platform.