Hundreds of health experts publicly protested Joe Rogan's Spotify-exclusive podcast and the anti-vaccine perspective it emphasizes. Many artists have since asked the streaming service to remove their music from the platform as a result. Spotify has heard the scrutiny and has thus released platform rules regarding COVID-19.

At a press briefing Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki addressed the situation.

“Our hope is that all major tech platforms — and all major news sources, for that matter — be responsible and be vigilant to ensure the American people have access to accurate information on something as significant as COVID-19,” she said. “It’s a positive step. But we want every platform to continue doing more to call out…misinformation while also uplifting accurate information.”

Joe Rogan says he does not intend to promote misinformation but admits he was not prepared for the "strange" responsibility of millions of listeners
Joe Rogan says he does not intend to promote misinformation but admits he was not prepared for the "strange" responsibility of millions of listeners Getty via AFP / Carmen Mandato

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said in a press release that his company “has been biased towards action,” and has introduced resources to encourage further knowledge of COVID-19.

“I trust our policies, the research and expertise that inform their development, and our aspiration to apply them in a way that allows for broad debate and discussion, within the lines,” Ek said. “We take this seriously and will continue to partner with experts and invest heavily in our platform functionality and product capabilities for the benefit of creators and listeners alike.”

Rogan has also responded to the criticism at hand, pledging that he "will do [his] best to balance out these more controversial viewpoints with other people's perspectives, so we can maybe find a better point of view."

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