At the daily White House press briefing on February 1, Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked to weigh in on Spotify’s compromise. She said that it was “a positive step, but there is more that can be done,” (via The Hollywood Reporter). She added that the administration is calling on every platform to not only identify inaccurate COVID-19 information, but also to do its part to share the facts.
“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,” Psaki said. “That certainly includes Spotify.”
As Psaki’s statement hit social media, critics were quick to offer opinions of their own. Said one, “Here’s a thought for @PressSec: How about if our leaders and the media do a better job with keeping us respectfully, sufficiently, and accurately informed so ‘misinformation’ has less power. Think that could work?” Another commenter denounced the musicians’ reaction: “Anyone that thinks the answer to misinformation is censorship better not mind revealing themselves as either an idiot or a tyrant.” Others poked fun at Psaki for mispronouncing the streaming platform as “Spotifly.”
At least one person is boycotting Rogan’s show with or without disclaimers. They posted a past clip of Rogan making offensive jokes about seeing “Planet of the Apes” in a theater in a primarily Black neighborhood. “Forget covid misinformation for a second,” they said. “I [choose] to not be a part of any platform that pays to promote such vile racist content.”
