Spotify to add disclaimer to podcasts discussing Covid-19 after Joe Rogan controversy

A note directing users to a hub that contains facts and information from medical professionals, will be introduced this week

Spotify has announced it will add a new content advisory after musicians including Neil Young, left, removed their music over a podcast by Joe Rogan. AP

Spotify will add a content advisory note to any podcast episode that discusses Covid-19, the company's chief executive Daniel Ek said.

It comes after the streaming platform has faced increasing criticism for The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, which is widely accused of peddling conspiracy theories, including Covid-19 misinformation.

The controversy has led to a number of high-profile musicians removing their music from Spotify, starting with polio survivor Neil Young, 76. Other musicians, such as Joni Mitchell and Nils Lofgren followed suit.

On Saturday, Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan also expressed their concern to Spotify about Covid-19 misinformation on its platform, but were committed to continuing to work with the company, a spokesperson for their Archewell foundation said.

In a tweet, bestselling author Brene Brown – host of the Spotify-exclusive podcasts Unlocking Us and Dare to Lead – said she would "not be releasing any podcasts until further notice".

Following mounting pressure, Spotify on Sunday announced it would include an advisory.

"This new effort to combat misinformation will roll out to countries around the world in the coming days," Ek wrote in a blog post. "To our knowledge, this content advisory is the first of its kind by a major podcast platform."

The advisory will direct listeners to a Covid-19 hub that contains facts and information from medical and health experts, as well as links to trusted sources.

A prominent vaccine sceptic, Rogan has sparked controversy with his views on the pandemic, government mandates and vaccines to control the spread of coronavirus.

Earlier this month, 270 scientists and medical professionals signed a letter urging Spotify to take action against Rogan, accusing him of spreading falsehoods on the podcast.

Following Spotify's announcement, Rogan addressed the controversy for the first time with a video on Instagram, saying he agreed with the streamer's decision to include an advisory.

“If there’s anything that I’ve done that I could do better, it’s having more experts with differing opinions right after I have the controversial ones,” Rogan said. “I would most certainly be open to doing that. And I would like to talk to some people who have differing opinions on the podcasts in the future. I do all the scheduling myself and I don’t always get it right.”

He also said he was sorry his content had led to Mitchell and Young removing their music from the platform.

“I’m very sorry they feel that way. I most certainly don’t want that. I’m a Neil Young fan,” he said.

Spotify is also publishing platform rules for its creators, according to Ek's post.

"We know we have a critical role to play in supporting creator expression while balancing it with the safety of our users," he wrote. "In that role, it is important to me that we don’t take on the position of being content censor while also making sure that there are rules in place and consequences for those who violate them."

– Additional reporting by Reuters