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Joni Mitchell is joining Neil Young in protest over Covid misinformation on Spotify

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Joni Mitchell is seen at the 2015 Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala. February 7, 2015. Joni Mitchell stated Friday, January 28, 2022 that she wants to delete all her Spotify music as a sign of solidarity with Neil Young who started a protest over a podcast featuring a person who spread misinformation regarding the coronavirus.

John Shearer | Invision | AP

Joni Mitchell announced Friday that she plans to delete all of her music. SpotifyIn solidarity with Neil Young, the man who started the movement for a protest against the streaming service for airing a podcast that featured a figure who has spread misinformation about the coronavirus.

Mitchell, who is from California and was a songwriter, has been Young’s only prominent member.

Mitchell posted a message on Friday saying that irresponsible people spread lies which are costing lives. “I stand in solidarity to Neil Young and all the medical and scientific communities around the world on this topic.”

Spotify took Young’s actions this week and stated that it has policies to remove misleading content from its platforms. It also removed over 20,000 episodes of podcasts related to Covid-19 in the time since the outbreak.

The site has not mentioned Joe Rogan. His podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience is the focus of this controversy. Rogan spoke last month on Dr. Robert Malone’s podcast, an infectious disease specialist banned by Twitter because he spread Covid misinformation.

Rogan, who has a contract worth more than $100million, is one of the biggest streaming stars.

Young had called other artists to help him after his actions. Mitchell (78) isn’t a hitmaker but her Spotify page states that she has 3.7 million monthly Spotify listeners. Both her songs, “Big Yellow Taxi” (song) and “A Case of You”, have been streamed on Spotify more than 100 millions times.

Young posted a message to his website on Friday saying that “when Spotify left me, I felt more.”

He wrote that private companies are free to decide what they want to profit from. “Just as I have the freedom to not have my music supported a platform that distributes harmful information, so can private companies.” I am proud and happy to support the health workers on the front lines who sacrifice their lives daily to assist others.

Spotify has not yet responded to our request for comment.

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