The White House has praised Spotify's decision to add advisory warnings to podcasts following a COVID-19 controversy. Press secretary Jen Psaki has welcomed the move as a "positive step", following the recent outrage over Joe Rogan's show.
She said: "Our hope is [that] all major tech platforms and all major news sources for that matter be responsible and be vigilant to ensure that the American people have access to accurate information on something as significant as COVID." 'The Joe Rogan Podcast' recently came under fire after two guests voiced views that contradicted the advice of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The controversy prompted a change from Spotify, with the platform announcing that it would redirect users to a hub containing facts about coronavirus. Daniel Ek, the Spotify CEO, also said in a statement that it had "become clear to me that we have an obligation to do more to provide balance and access to widely-accepted information from the medical and scientific communities".
Meanwhile, Joe Rogan has denied trying to spread misinformation. He said in a statement on social media: "My pledge to you is that I will do my best to balance out these more controversial viewpoints with other people's perspectives, so we can maybe find a better point of view."