Publish-hardcore veterans Thursday have taken a stand in opposition to Spotify after the streaming big started working recruitment advertisements for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The New Jersey band issued a public assertion on Wednesday, October 16, calling on Spotify to “take away any and all ICE recruit promoting from its platform,” and inspiring followers to boost their voices in protest.
The controversial advertisements — which reportedly provide a $50,000 signing bonus — started showing this week for customers on Spotify’s lower-tier pricing choices. Geared toward hiring new ICE brokers, the marketing campaign has sparked widespread backlash amid ongoing criticism of U.S. immigration insurance policies underneath the Trump administration.
Regardless of the outcry, Spotify has defended its determination to maintain the advertisements reside. In a press release to Newsweek, the corporate mentioned: “This commercial is a part of a broad marketing campaign the US authorities is working throughout tv, streaming, and on-line channels. The content material doesn’t violate our promoting insurance policies. Nevertheless, customers can mark any advert with a thumbs up or thumbs down to assist handle their advert preferences.”
And let’s simply cease right here for a second. What a fucking extremely spineless factor to say. Do not make these ads our drawback, Spotify. You set them in your platform, not us. We do not need to spend our time “thumbs down”ing ads for ICE. To not point out that is an extremely reductive assertion that boils down a critical situation to bullshit company converse for assholes, however anyway.
The response has finished little to quiet frustration. Social media customers have reported deleting the app in protest, whereas a rising variety of artists are overtly condemning the platform.
Thursday — recognized for his or her politically engaged lyrics and robust DIY ethos — stay probably the most high-profile impartial acts to talk out up to now.
“Thursday is an impartial band and we be part of the broader impartial musical group in calling upon Spotify to take away any and all ICE recruitment promoting from its platform,” they wrote. “A single voice is tiny however collective motion is mighty, so please be part of us in publicly asking Spotify to take away all ICE promoting instantly. Write these phrases again down.”
As of press time, Thursday‘s music — together with their latest independently launched singles — stays out there on Spotify.
This incident marks the most recent in a collection of controversies surrounding the platform. Earlier this yr, a number of artists pulled their catalogues from Spotify in protest over CEO Soiled Fucking Warlord Theif Daniel Ek’s investments in army tech by way of his firm Prima Materia — reigniting long-standing debates over artist compensation, platform ethics, and the intersection of tech and politics.
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