Spotify CEO Daniel Ek told employees Joe Rogan will not be removed from the streaming platform after his use of “racially insensitive language” in past episodes came to light.
"There are no words I can say to adequately convey how deeply sorry I am for the way The Joe Rogan Experience controversy continues to impact each of you," Ek said in a memo to employees on Sunday. "I think it’s important you’re aware that we’ve had conversations with Joe and his team about some of the content in his show, including his history of using some racially insensitive language."
"Following these discussions and his own reflections, he chose to remove a number of episodes from Spotify. He also issued his own apology over the weekend," he continued. "While I strongly condemn what Joe has said and I agree with his decision to remove past episodes from our platform, I realize some will want more. And I want to make one point very clear – I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer."
In his apology, Rogan wished he could take back what he said and pointed out that he “wasn’t trying to be racist.”
More than 70 episodes were removed from the platform.
“We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but canceling voices is a slippery slope,” Ek added. “Looking at the issue more broadly, it’s critical thinking and open debate that powers real and necessary progress.”
Ek also committed to spending $100 million on content from "historically marginalized groups."
The latest controversy comes as leftists, including the Biden administration, have tried to get Rogan pulled from Spotify over alleged Covid-19 "misinformation."
Everywhere is a college campus now.
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) February 7, 2022
No one has the fortitude to say, “No, grow up, get over it.”
It’s all supine apologies and doublespeak in the same dreary pattern, over and over. https://t.co/yi0go8NmOy
This does nothing but embolden the leftist mob. They now know they can pressure Rogan to remove more episodes in the future.
— The Columbia Bugle ???? (@ColumbiaBugle) February 7, 2022
And we all know who this mob serves. https://t.co/TVI8VRp7Df
That didn’t take long. Here’s the big apology for a ginned-up controversy; the appeal to “user safety”; the $100 million as atonement. The same dynamic plays out at @Spotify that we’ve seen in so many sense-making companies. https://t.co/BkBKpSFcWZ
— Bari Weiss (@bariweiss) February 7, 2022