Spotify must remove content calling for the annihilation of the Jewish people and other incitement to violence and hatred.
A 2021 Israel Advocacy Movement (IAM) investigation uncovered serious anti-Semitism on music-streaming app Spotify, not only from neo-Nazi bands, but also from some of the world’s most popular artists, including Kanye West, Jay Z and Cardi B.
And Jews aren’t the only targets of hate and racism on Spotify.
In 2020, JNS reported that the audio-streaming service had “dozens of user-created playlists with titles praising Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, mocking Holocaust victims, and artwork that feature swastikas and white-nationalist hate symbols.”
JNS added, “The anti-Semitic playlist titles also include explicit calls to ‘gas,’ ‘burn’ or ‘kill’ Jews; promote Holocaust denial and anti-Jewish conspiracy theories; and poke fun at the Auschwitz concentration camp. Among the titles are ‘GasOnThemJ3ws,’ ‘The Holocaust was an exaggerated game of hide and seek’ and ‘Rocking the soccks [sic] off holocaust victims.'”
Some playlists include “German military songs adopted by the Waffen-SS,” with the playlist “Hitler’s Mixtape” featuring a photo of a Ku Klux Klan member making the “Heil Hitler” gesture.
According to a Spotify spokesperson in 2020, “The user-generated content in question violates our policy and is in the process of being removed. Spotify prohibits any user content that is offensive, abusive, defamatory, pornographic, threatening or obscene.”
At press time, Spotify still had numerous Nazi-themed playlists on its platform, in addition to songs like rapper Jay Electronica’s “Ghost of Soulja Slim,” which includes the lyric: “And I bet you a Rothschild I get a bang for my dollar/The synagogue of Satan want me to hang by my collar.”
Why is Spotify allowing such dangerous hatred and incitement and profiting from hosting it on its platform?
Spotify must stop letting hatemongers spread their incitement on its platform and must stop profiting from these dangerous messages.
Contact Spotify and tell them to stop profiting from genocidal anti-Semitic content!
Send your own respectful message to the contacts below, or use this template:
I am writing to express my shock that Spotify profits from anti-Semitic music that promotes genocide, in addition to other forms of hate speech. Hatred, conspiracies, and incitement are spreading like wild fire online and it is your responsibility to remove it from your platform. I am specifically referring to songs like Unearthly’s ‘Zyklon B’ and playlists with titles like ‘Straight Outta Auschwitz.’ It is bad enough your platform tolerates this content. It is unconscionable that you profit from it. Take action now!
1. Click here to send a message to Spotify on Facebook.
2. Click here to send a message to Spotify on Twitter.
3. Send an email to Spotify at: support@spotify.com