Music and podcast streaming platform Spotify confirmed that they have removal multiple episodes of the "Alex Jones Show," hosted by the conspiracy theorist and right-wing agitator Alex Jones. Spotify cited violations of its terms of service banning hate speech.
Variety reported that Spotify sent out an email confirming the removal of episodes, saying they review any podcast or song that is flagged by users. Spotify has not provided any details about the alleged hate speech in the podcast episodes that were removed. Spotify still offers episodes of the popular show, with episodes dating back to June 2017.
Right Wing Watch researcher Jared Holt first noted Jones' violating Spotify's rules. Holt pointed to Alex Jones hosting members of hate groups and white supremacists and making threats of violence against the "deep state."
Jones has claimed several national tragedies were hoaxes
Alex Jones came under fire for spewing myths and stirring the pot, claiming that the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax. Recently he's been scrutinized by tech giants, because of his rhetoric that targets minorities and those in the LGBT community.
Gizmodo reported that YouTube and Facebook just penalized Alex Jones for violating community-standard guidelines. The two social media platforms deleted several of Jones' videos and even suspended part of Alex Jones' posting abilities.
Spotify attempted to eliminate 'hate content' with new policies
Last May, Spotify instituted a policy that prohibited "hate content" from the streaming platform. They also went after artists who took part in hateful content. They applied the "hateful content" policy against music artists R. Kelly and XXXTenacion. However, a month later Spotify walked back their decision and eventually dropped the policy.
Tech giants have attempted to avoid getting involved in efforts to police their user-submitted networks but appear to be stepping up their efforts. However, the rules in place are full of loopholes and are rarely truly enforced.
Spotify's action against Alex Jones is seen as a slap on the wrist, which allows him to continue to upload his questionable content, growing the influence and power of his organization Infowars, and expanding his reach for President Trump. While Jones still has the ability to upload on Spotify, he is still fighting legal battles stemming from claims of defamation from families of victims from the Sandy Hook shooting.
