(Update 04/02/2021 10AM IST): Spotify provided a screenshot of the COVID-19 label that’ll go with podcast episodes related to it. You can check out what it looks like in the screengrab below.
The tech world can’t stop talking about Spotify — but it doesn’t seem like the streaming giant is actually listening.
For the uninitiated, Neil Young and others have removed their music from Spotify , because they believe Rogan’s podcast — something consumed by millions — contains vaccine misinformation. You can read about the saga here .
The streaming service responded with a blog post saying it will publish its platform rules , and a COVID-19 hub containing globally verified information about the pandemic. Spotify also stated it’ll add a content advisory warning on any podcast episode that discusses COVID-19.
I’ve been listening to podcasts for over 10 years now, and the warnings I’ve come across are usually mentioned aurally at the beginning of an episode.
I asked Spotify if it planned to do the same thing. A spokesperson responded that the advisory label will only be text-based, which will “direct listeners to [its] dedicated COVID-19 hub.”
That sounds like the platform is trying to do the bare minimum to avoid scrutiny or accusation of spreading misinformation. If I’m listening to a podcast, what are the chances that I’m looking at the screen? What if I’m playing it on a smart speaker? Do I need to check my app for labels every time I play an episode?
The streaming service’s text-based content warning plans address none of these problems.
What’s a good health-related content advisory?
Chhavi Sachdev , the founder of Sonologue Podcasting productions, believes it must move beyond just text:
“Episodes with sensitive content must include an advisory in an audio format, and should be from a neutral voice (not from the host). Plus, if it’s health-related, it should spell out unverified claims, and point to the information from trusted sources.”
Amit Doshi , head of India-based production house IVM podcasts, agrees — but pointed out “how hard” it is to implement.
This is a serious problem, so we asked Spotify how it plans to detect episodes that contain COVID-19 information, especially when it publishes thousands of podcasts every day.
We’ll update the story if we receive a response.
Platforms and the COVID-19 misinformation problem
Last year, after governments started administering vaccines, online platforms like YouTube, Twitter , Instagram, and Facebook faced a massive misinformation problem. After much criticism, these companies started booting out content with vaccine misinformation .
For example, Twitter tagged problematic posts like this:
Spotify has also been under fire, but it’s largely maintained the stance that it’s a platform, not a publisher — so it doesn’t want to exercise any editorial control. This is clearly a falsity.
While Spotify’s proposed content advisory tag is a step in the right direction, it doesn’t go far enough.
Dr. Harjit Singh Bhatti, a former president of the resident doctors association at AIIMS, India’s top public hospitals, compared these labels to warnings on cigarette packets, which are often ignored:
Studies suggest that labels are effective if they debunk the information using verified resources . However, just posting a warning might not be effective.
Notably, when you use visual platforms like YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram, you can see these labels while scrolling. On an audio-first platform like Spotify, the chances of you noticing them goes down drastically.
As Doshi said, the effectiveness of these kinds of solutions ends up looking like “lipstick on a pig.”
One thing’s clear: Spotify wants to shy away from the responsibility of policing itself and the content it hosts. But, as we’ve seen with Facebook , the whole “platform not publisher” argument doesn’t have legs.
Spotify’s reckoning might not be now, but it won’t be long. And a few warning labels won’t stop its eventual comeuppance.
