Musician Neil Young Critical of Spotify Chief, Big Banks

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Neil Young has asked Spotify employees to quit their jobs — and he’s also taking aim at large American banks in protest as well, Reuters reported Tuesday (Feb. 8).

His protests center around coronavirus misinformation, as well as climate change. Young, writing on his own website, said Spotify’s CEO Daniel Ek was the main problem over the issue with podcaster Joe Rogan. Rogan has caused controversy over guests on his show, vaccine misinformation and his use of racial slurs.

“In our communication age, misinformation is the problem. Ditch the misinformers,” Young said in the statement.

Last month, Young pulled his content from the streaming platform after announcing he didn’t want his music playing there if Rogan’s podcast was still there.

In the wake of that, several other artists have withdrawn their work from the platform, including singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, guitarist Nils Lofgren and best-selling U.S. professor and author Brene Brown.

Young’s statement on his website also urged people to move their money away from several big-name banks like J.P. Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo, whom he criticized as “damage causers” because of their continued support of fossil fuels.

At Spotify, Ek has told staff that he “condemned” Rogan’s use of racial slurs, but the company wouldn’t be “silencing” him.

Last week, Ek said the company had been emerging as a better company after “a few notable days,” adding that users would see changes in terms of how the company dealt with misinformation regarding the pandemic.

Read more: Spotify Downplays Joe Rogan Controversy During 2021 Q4 Earnings Update

Ek said he believes the company has “a critical role to play” on supporting expression, as well as balancing that with safety.

The fourth quarter results for the streaming company saw its biggest growth ever in terms of monthly active users, with a 29% improvement in audience engagement year over year. Additionally, Gen Z users saw the biggest level of interaction.