The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have weighed in on the ongoing Spotify fiasco, releasing a public statement expressing their concerns about the “all too real consequences of COVID-19 misinformation on its platforms.”
The news comes after folk stars Neil Young and Joni Mitchell have boycotted the streaming giant by removing their catalogue, citing an episode featuring Dr. Robert Malone on the controversial podcast The Joe Rogan Experience as their reason for leaving.
Rogan’s podcast was acquired by Spotify for $100 million in 2020, with the show becoming one of the most successful in the world.
However, the recent instalment sparked severe backlash, including an open letter from over 200 healthcare professionals to “take action against the mass-misinformation events which continue to occur on its platform”.
“By allowing the propagation of false and societally harmful assertions, Spotify is enabling its hosted media to damage public trust in scientific research and sow doubt in the credibility of data-driven guidance offered by medical professionals,” the letter read.
In support of the medical community, Meghan and Harry’s non-profit organisation Archewell has shared their own statement, reemphasising concerns they’ve been voicing since last April.
“We have continued to express our concerns to Spotify to ensure changes to it’s platform are made to help address this public health crisis”, the statement read. “We look to Spotify to meet this moment and are committed to continuing our work together as it does”.
While the statement doesn’t clarify what will happen to the Sussex’s estimated $25 million dollar contract should Spotify not take action, one thing is for certain: shots have been fired.
In late 2020 Harry and Meghan partnered with several major streaming giants including including Spotify and Netflix when they stepped back from royal duties.
So far, the Duke and Duchess have only released one episode, a holiday special released in December of 2020 which features “inspiration, reflection, and perspective from guests around the world.”
At the time of publishing, Spotify has yet to comment on the situation.
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