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January 27, 2022

Spotify Sides with Joe Rogan in Vaccine Misinformation Spat, Will Remove Neil Young Songs
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The United States reported nearly 3,900 COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday -
the highest daily toll since last winter's surge. Hospitalizations
remain near record highs, though the number of reported daily infections
is falling rapidly.

Spotify is removing Neil Young's music from its catalog, after Young
demanded the streaming platform drop podcast host Joe Rogan. Rogan has a
history of promoting baseless conspiracy theories about the pandemic and
untested treatments for COVID-19, and he's repeatedly spread
misinformation about vaccines. In an open letter, Young blasted
misinformation on Spotify's podcasts and said, "They can have Rogan or
Young. Not both." On Wednesday, Spotify sided with Rogan and began
taking Neil Young's songs offline. "The Joe Rogan Experience" is the
world's most popular podcast, with an estimated 11 million listeners per
episode. In 2020, Rogan signed a deal with Spotify reportedly worth over
$100 million.


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