In Rogan's podcast, Malone said that vaccination increases the risk of re-infection for those who have already had COVID-19, and compared vaccine sentiment in the US to that in Nazi Germany.
Following this release, a group of 270 doctors wrote a round-robin letter to Spotify demanding that content posted on the platform be reviewed. They were supported by Canadian-American music legend Neil Young.
After Neil Young demanded that his music be removed from streaming due to content about COVID-19 put out by Rogan that he believed was misleading, Joe Rogan was also accused of racism due to the use of the “N-word” found among his broadcasts.
Shortly after, other music stars joined Young, prompting Spotify stock to collapse. The streaming service was forced to make excuses, but the company’s CEO Daniel Ek said that he had no plans to “cancel” Rogan and silence him. The podcaster himself on his Instagram apologized for both situations.
Rogan's podcast was bought by Spotify in 2020 for $100 million, with the platform acquiring exclusive streaming rights. Among the podcast's guests have been Elon Musk, Kanye West (Ye), Edward Snowden, Robert Downey Jr., and other superstars and influencers.
Nevertheless, Spotify, since the beginning of the controversy over Rogan's podcast, has removed over 100 episodes and said it would begin tagging podcasts discussing topics related to the coronavirus.