DOGPILE! Left Calls on Spotify to Deplatform Joe Rogan for Alleged COVID-19 ‘Misinformation’

Leftists called on Spotify to ban popular podcast host Joe Rogan over alleged COVID-19 “misinformation.” Rogan has interviewed doctors on his show who dissent from the left’s COVID-19 narratives.

Rogan’s enormously popular podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience” is exclusive to Spotify, but leftists railed against the streaming platform and demanded he be deplatformed. Rogan spoke with both Dr. Peter McCullough, a seasoned cardiologist and Dr. Robert Malone, a patent holder for the mRNA vaccine. Malone, McCullough and other COVID-19 scientists have been repeatedly attacked by the left. By calling for Rogan to be banned, leftists have made it clear that anyone who disagrees with them shouldn’t have a platform to speak freely.

Ironically, some leftists used social media to complain about Rogan’s online speech. Liberal research director of Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center and Technology and Social Change project head Joan Donovan complained on Twitter, “The problem isn’t the policies, it’s Rogan as a product of Spotify.” She added in a tweet a day later: “These are the conditions that create incentives for employee leaks.”

The ban was embraced by many people around the globe. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan Markle, who also use Spotify, reportedly joined in criticizing the platform for allowing so-called COVID-19 “misinformation” through their foundation Archewell. Culture writer for UnHerd Kat Rosenfield lamented on CNN’s Reliable Sources that Rogan is “like a weed that sprang up outside the mainstream media ecosystem.” Reliable Sources’ Oliver Darcy spoke of “viral lies” and commented, “Consider the fact that we are nearly six years from the 2016 election, when the issue of misinfo really surfaced in an unavoidable way, and Some tech companies still have incredibly hard problems setting up basic protocols.” Tech journalist and podcaster Kara Swisher also endorsed more censorship from Spotify, tweeting, “Interesting that a thing once called editing for facts became being a content censor.” The 1619 Project author Nikole Hannah-Jones bashed what she called the “racist tropes” of Joe Rogan on Twitter.

Artistes of rock Neil YoungThe first step in the removal of Rogan was to demand Spotify pick him over Rogan. The ultimatum backfired for Young, as Spotify reportedly unabashedly chose Rogan; “We regret Neil’s decision to remove his music from Spotify, but hope to welcome him back soon.” Young claimed that Spotify has “become the home of life threatening COVID misinformation.” Fellow musician Joni Mitchell also removed her music from Spotify, expressing “solidarity” with Neil Young. After receiving so many complaints about Joe Rogan, Spotify had to close its customer service line.

So far, Spotify’s only major concession to the censorship pressure was to introduce COVID-19 “content advisories” to podcast episodes.

Many “theories” were aggressively dubbed “misinformation” earlier in the pandemic, such as the lab leak theory of COVID-19 origins and the fact that vaccinated individuals can contract COVID-19. These same “theories” have now been shown to be plausible or true, and authorities have now acknowledged the veracity of emergent facts. A letter sent to Spotify by medical and scientific professionals may have hundreds of signatures. However, more than 17,000 medical and scientific professionals signed the Rome Declaration, condemning several COVID-19-related measures.

Conservatives are being attacked.Get in touch with your representative and ask them to support freedom of speech. Tech companies should give their users the same freedom of speech as the First Amendment. If you have been censored, contact us using CensorTrack’s Contact formPlease help us make Big Tech more accountable.

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