Joni Mitchell performing with B.B. King.
Roger Ressmeyer/Getty Images
Joni Mitchell has turned up the amount on a name for Spotify to handle misinformation on its platform. The iconic singer-songwriter says she plans to tug her work off the music and podcast streaming service over false claims about COVID-19 vaccines.
“I’ve determined to take away all my music from Spotify,” Mitchell stated Friday in a short publish on her web site. “Irresponsible individuals are spreading lies which might be costing folks their lives. I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the worldwide scientific and medical communities on this concern.”
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Rocker Young sparked a #DeleteSpotify motion earlier this week when he yanked his catalog off the service and cited a letter by medical professionals criticizing Spotify and its hottest podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, for spreading vaccine misinformation.
In her publish, Mitchell included a hyperlink to that very same letter. It calls out an episode of Rogan’s podcast that featured virologist Dr. Robert Malone, factors to a essential publish about Malone on fact-checking web site PolitiFact, and urges Spotify to determine a coverage on misinformation.
“By permitting the propagation of false and societally dangerous assertions,” the letter says, “Spotify is enabling its hosted media to wreck public belief in scientific analysis and sow doubt within the credibility of data-driven steerage provided by medical professionals.”
In 2020, Spotify made its service the unique house of Rogan’s podcast after signing a licensing deal that The Wall Street Journal reported was value greater than $100 million.
On Friday, Young posted a observe on his web site underlining his stance.
“I assist free speech,” Young’s publish says. “I’ve by no means been in favor of censorship. Private corporations have the precise to decide on what they revenue from, simply as I can select to not have my music assist a platform that disseminates dangerous info.”
Spotify did not instantly reply to a request for remark.
Read extra: Spotify faces backlash after Neil Young pulls music over Joe Rogan COVID misinformation