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Young, in a statement on his website,
criticized the music streaming platform's chief executive
officer, Daniel Ek, saying he was the main problem, in the wake
of criticism of U.S. podcaster Joe Rogan, who has courted
controversy with his views on COVID-19 vaccines and his use of
racial slurs.
Spotify hosts the top-rated podcast "The Joe Rogan Experience"
podcast.
"In our communication age, misinformation is the problem. Ditch
the misinformers," Young said in the statement.
The rock star pulled his content from the streaming platform
last month after objecting to his music being played on the same
platform as Rogan's podcast, over what Young said was misleading
information on vaccines.
Several prominent figures including singer-songwriter Joni
Mitchell, guitarist Nils Lofgren and best-selling U.S. professor
and author Brene Brown followed suit.
Young also urged people to move their money out of multinational
banks JPMorgan Chase & Co, Citigroup Inc, Bank of America Corp
and Wells Fargo & Co, calling them "damage causers" for their
funding of fossil fuels.
Rogan has apologized for both the racial slurs and the
controversy over COVID vaccines.
Young's comments come a day after Ek told his staff that while
he condemned the slurs used by Rogan, the company would not be
silencing him.
Addressing employees of the music platform, Young said: "I say
Daniel Ek is your big problem - not Joe Rogan. Get out of that
place before it eats up your soul."
Young also urged fellow musicians and artists to take their
output elsewhere.
The platform saw more than $2 billion wiped off its market value
last week amid the uproar over COVID misinformation.
The company has said it would add a "content advisory" to any
episode that includes discussion of the coronavirus.
(Reporting by Mrinmay Dey and Bhargav Acharya in Bengaluru;
Editing by Robert Birsel)
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