Washington, D.C. — Today, Ezra Levin, Indivisible’s co-founder and co-executive director, released the following statement announcing Indivisible’s national Don’t Stream Fascism: Cancel Spotify Campaign to cancel Spotify subscriptions until the streaming giant stops airing recruitment ads for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE):
“Spotify is exploiting the work of artists to line their pockets while recruiting for ICE – a secret police force that is terrorizing American communities. Spotify is actively amplifying the Trump regime’s drive to authoritarianism.”
“Billionaire and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, as well as soon-to-be co-CEOs Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström, decided to cash-in by peddling a hate agenda. They could have refused this contract, like other platforms already have. Instead, they chose authoritarianism and profit over their artists and listeners.”
“Spotify depends on all of us: artists, listeners, creators, organizers. Now we have to use our collective power to hold them accountable. Until Spotify removes every ICE ad, Indivisible is calling on everyone to cancel their subscriptions, and on artists to take a stand by speaking out against their work being weaponized for hate. If we want change, we have to demand it - this is what demanding it looks like.”
Last week, Indivisible’s leadership sent a letter to Spotify CEO Daniel Eck and Chief Public Affairs Officer Dustee Jenkins asking for immediate termination of all advertising for ICE, and a public commitment to update Spotify's Advertising Policy to prohibit government propaganda. They did not respond.
Indivisible is organizing its members to:
- Cancel Spotify Premium subscriptions, today, until Spotify removes all ICE recruitment ads from its platform.
- Engage in peaceful protest outside Spotify offices, studios, and major events to demand accountability.
- Urge artists, podcasters, and labels to publicly denounce the ads and pressure Spotify leadership to stop profiting from Trump’s deportation machine.
The demands of this campaign include:
- Spotify must immediately terminate all ICE and DHS advertising contracts.
- Spotify must update its Advertising Policy to prohibit government propaganda and hate-based recruitment.
- Spotify must commit to standing up for first amendment rights in the face of authoritarian intimidation.
Earlier this year, Indivisible launched a similar campaign calling on the Indivisible activist network to cancel Hulu and Disney+ services after the networks cancelled Jimmy Kimmel’s show. Within days, Jimmy Kimmel’s show was reinstated after people made their voices heard by cancelling their subscriptions.
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