Non-profit organization Indivisible Project, one of the organizers behind the No Kings protests, has called for a Spotify boycott in response to the music streamer running ICE recruitment ads on its platform.
In a blog post titled “Don’t Stream Fascism,” Indivisible wrote, “Spotify is running ads recruiting agents for ICE, the federal agency charged with mass deportation and surveillance of immigrant communities. These ads target vulnerable populations, promise signing bonuses, and normalize fear and intimidation in our neighborhoods.”
The boycott urges Spotify founder and CEO Daniel Ek, along with incoming co-CEOs Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström, to immediately “terminate all ICE and DHS advertising contracts,” update its advertising policy to “prohibit government propaganda and hate-based recruitment campaigns,” and commit to “defending civil rights and standing up for communities under threat from authoritarian actions.”
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Until then, Indivisible is calling on listeners and artists to cancel their Spotify subscriptions, peacefully protest outside the company’s offices, studios, or major events, and urge artists, podcasters, and labels to publicly denounce the ads.
Earlier this month, Spotify said it would continue running the ICE ads as part of the US government’s broad television, streaming, and online campaign, reasoning that the content did not violate advertising policies. Similar advertising has appeared on YouTube, HBO Max, and Hulu in recent months.
Spotify had already faced boycotts after reports that Ek has a financial stake in the AI defense company Helsing. Artists who have pulled their catalogs include Massive Attack, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, and Deerhoof.
