SPOTIFY is fighting the same battle against hateful content as Meta, Twitter and other social platforms. Since the beginning of the year, the global streaming site has reportedly removed 19,000 playlists that violate its hate speech policy.
In addition to those playlists, count some 12,000 podcast episodes, 160 songs and nearly 20 albums, as a spokesperson for the Swedish giant told Billboard. Some of this problematic content has been cited in a new report from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a non-governmental organization that has been fighting anti-Semitism and, more recently, hate on the internet, since 1913.
In it, the association writes that it has identified 40 white supremacist musicians on Spotify who violate the platform's rules regarding dangerous content. They belong to "extremist" musical sub-genres such as Fashwave, a style of electronic music that espouses white supremacist ideology, or Rock Against Communism, a type of punk that promotes racism and anti-Semitism.
According to the ADL, some of these artists are "verified" by Spotify. This distinction allows them to use tools specially designed by the streaming service to help them get their songs featured in multiple playlists. "Spotify is not only allowing the racism and incitement of white supremacist music, it is actively promoting that content on its own playlists," laments the organization.
Evolving moderation policies
For its part, Spotify told Billboard that the company "takes content concerns very seriously." "We leverage a variety of algorithmic and human detection measures to ensure that all of the content on our platform is in keeping with our Platform Rules," said a spokesperson for the company. Spotify's platform rules state that users must not "promote violence, incite hatred, harass or engage in any other behavior that may place people at risk of serious physical harm or death."
To ensure compliance, Spotify announced in June the creation of a Safety Advisory Council. Its mission is to help the platform "evolve its policies" around key areas such as digital security and hateful content. The council is composed of experts and organizations with in-depth expertise in these areas. It currently comprises around 20 experts, including representatives from the Washington D.C. civil rights group, the Center for Democracy & Technology, the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and the Institute for Technology and Society in Brazil.
Spotify has been facing scrutiny over its moderation system for years. In particular, it has been criticized for "The Alex Jones Show," the podcast hosted by the American far-right conspiracy theorist of the same name. This show has been the subject of complaints from many users of the platform, which has led the site to remove some episodes deemed hateful.
ETX Studio
Sun Oct 02 2022

Spotify says it takes content moderation issues very seriously - AFP Relaxnews

Wedding content creation the big thing now for newlyleds
A wedding content creator's success does not rely solely in tech but in capturing emotions and bringing a couples love story to life.

Will Western companies return to Russia?
Easing restrictions could let some companies return to what was once a high-growth market under Trump's administration.

Chatbots pose challenge to guarding child mental health
Developers say AI companions can combat loneliness and improve users' social experiences in a safe space.

With blitz of policies, Trump goes beyond Project 2025's goals
Trump denies ties to Project 2025 but continues reshaping policies through executive power.

Almost half of chronic kidney patients in Malaysia lost their jobs - study
The study raises concerns about the future of chronic kidney patients, especially those who rely on long-term dialysis treatment.

Beware of scam tactics using AI
The drastic development of AI technology is being taken advantage of by scammers to reap huge profits by using various latest tactics.

Fired and rehired - the dizzying confusion of Trump's government overhaul
They have adopted a blunt force approach toward the wholesale firing of workers, often focusing on workers who are easier to fire.

Arab states scramble to counter Trump's Gaza 'Riviera' plan
Arab states trying to devise an alternative plan have yet to tackle critical issues like who will foot the bill for Gaza's reconstruction.

Chinese universities launch DeepSeek courses to capitalise on AI boom
Universities across China have launched artificial intelligence courses this month based on Chinese AI startup DeepSeek.

Astronomers reveal 3D structure of an alien planet's atmosphere
Astronomers find three layers on a scorching gas planet orbiting a star larger and hotter than the sun.

Public flips car involved in road accident to rescue child
According to JBPM, members of the public at the scene took initial action to rescue the victim before the fire brigade arrived.

Ramsay reveals hundreds of lucky cat statues stolen from new restaurant
Gordon Ramsay says about 477 Japanese cat models called maneki-neko were stolen from his Lucky Cat 22 Bishopsgate restaurant.

Zayn Rayyan case: Two child witnesses complete testimony today
So far, 20 prosecution witnesses, including the two children, have been called for this trial, according to the Deputy Public Prosecutor.

Macron says he will tell Trump not to be weak with Putin in Washington visit
Emmanuel Macron says showing any weakness to Russia's Vladimir Putin would make it harder to deal with China and Iran.

Israeli PM Netanyahu says Hamas will pay for not returning Shiri Bibas
Netanyahu accuse Hamas of acting "in an unspeakably cynical manner" by placing body of a Gaza woman in the coffin instead of Shiri Bibas.

Trump pulls US out of key global climate assessment, sources say
The US is a co-chair along with Malaysia of a working group on climate mitigation, or ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Japan to court Tesla on Nissan investment, FT reports
The group hopes Tesla will invest strategically, believing it's interested in acquiring Nissan's US plants, the report says.

185 children linked to GISB handed over to families - Exco
The children have been handed over to their families on bond with conditions by the court.

IRS fires 6,000 employees as Trump slashes US government
The move will eliminate roughly 6% of the agency's workforce in the midst of the busy tax-filing season.

Elon Musk wields chainsaw at conservative gathering, a gift from Argentina's Milei
This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy, says Elon Musk.