Spotify announced that it has formed a new Safety Advisory Council comprised of online safety experts and organizations. The council's goal "is to help Spotify evolve its policies and products in a safe way" while also protecting artist speech.
It's a measure designed to assist Spotify in navigating issues when freedom of expression clashes with efficiently monitoring the most offensive or hazardous content on its platform. COVID-19 disinformation on Joe Rogan's popular show drove a handful of musicians to delete their music off Spotify in protest earlier this year, bringing the tension into the open.
Following the Rogan outcry, Spotify stated that it does not want to be a "content censor." but it did publicly disclose its platform rules stating what types of content are not permitted, and it made further steps to familiarize artists with the regulations and enforce them.
Spotify, the most popular streaming service in terms of both listeners and subscribers, is grappling with the same dilemma that Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and other internet behemoths have: how to balance free expression with effective moderation of the most objectionable content on their platforms.
However, whereas Facebook and YouTube must deal with monitoring content shared by users on a massive scale, Spotify faces two distinct issues. For one thing, it's trying to establish a neutral image after investing significantly in contentious characters like Rogan, a political lightning rod whose Spotify exclusivity deal is worth an estimated $100 million.
Spotify must also handle shifting perceptions of artist behavior, such as a dispute over Spotify's decision to include tracks by R. Kelly in its archive., who has been found guilty of sex trafficking.
Spotify announced on Monday that many members of its Safety Advisory Council had already sent comments to the firm. Members will advise Spotify teams on policy, safety feature development, equity, impact, and academic research, but the council will not make enforcement decisions on specific pieces of material or authors, according to Spotify.
While disinformation has always been in the media - consider the Great Moon Hoax of 1835, which claimed that life had been discovered on the moon - the introduction of social media has substantially enhanced the scope, dissemination, and reach of misinformation.
Social media platforms have evolved into public information utilities that affect how most people perceive the world, making disinformation a major issue for society.
The council's goal is to assist develop high-level rules and Spotify's internal processes so that policies can be enforced consistently around the world, according to the business, which added that the council will grow in the coming months.
