Topline
Spotify faced widespread criticism this week for allowing far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to appear on the Joe Rogan Experience, but the company does not plan on taking down the episode, according to a leaked email reported by BuzzFeed News.
Comedian Joe Rogan knocks ’em dead during his set at The Ice House Comedy Club on August 7, 2019, in ... [+]
Key Facts
In the episode posted Wednesday, Jones cast doubt on vaccines and masks, drawing criticism that Spotify was allowing the podcast to spread dangerous medical misinformation during the pandemic.
Rogan did attempt to fact-check Jones at times, but critics still assailed Spotify and Rogan for giving Jones a platform in the first place, especially because Spotify removed Jones’ podcast in 2018 over “hate content.”
Spotify has also taken down previous Joe Rogan Experience episodes featuring Jones as well as Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes.
Spotify did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Forbes, but in a leaked email obtained by BuzzFeed News, Spotify’s chief legal officer said, “We are not going to ban specific individuals from being guests on other people’s shows, as the episode/show complies with our content policies.”
Chief Critics
Nathan Bernard, an online activist combating the alt-right, said “continuing to platform these far-right sickos is incredibly gross and dangerous” because they “pushed anti-vaxx conspiracies and broadcasted banned Infowars videos.”
Liberal online speech group Sleeping Giants criticized Spotify for “paying 100 million dollars for the privilege of platforming a man who terrorized Sandy Hook parents.”
Key Background
Rogan’s exclusive deal with Spotify—reportedly worth more than $100 million—was a major get for the streaming service as it looks to move beyond music. But this isn’t the first time Rogan has been scrutinized since moving to the platform. He apologized in September for spreading false rumors that left-wing activists were setting wildfires on the West Coast. Spotify CEO Daniel Elk was also forced to explain why the company didn’t remove an episode featuring Abigail Shrier, the author of Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters, amid concerns from LGBTQ employees, Motherboard reported.
Surprising Fact
Forbes named Rogan the highest-paid podcaster in 2019, estimating he made $30 million last year. The Joe Rogan Experience is among the most popular podcasts in the world, with 9.8 million YouTube subscribers and more than 190 million downloads per month.
Tangent
Major social media networks have effectively de-platformed Jones, including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Jones faces four defamation lawsuits stemming from false claims about national tragedies, including a wrongful accusation about who was behind the Parkland shooting and asserting that the Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax.
