Spotify Drops Ads Touting ICE Recruitment After Backlash and Criticism.
A decision made by Spotify to discontinue advertisements from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been confirmed by the company. Following a fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis, the ads for the US government agency stopped running on the platform. However, it's worth noting that these recruitment ads were actually part of a larger campaign across multiple major media outlets.
The news comes after Spotify faced significant backlash and criticism over its role in airing the ads. Users were prompted to "join the mission to protect America" while listening to music on the ad-supported plan, with signing bonuses of up to $50,000 being offered to new recruits. Many called for boycotts of the service, with even some major music labels weighing in.
In an effort to assuage concerns, Spotify claimed that its policies were not violated by running the ads. However, users could opt out by marking them as unwanted. Despite this, a significant amount of money was generated from these ads, including $74,000 paid to Homeland Security for promoting ICE recruitment. This pales in comparison to other major tech companies, which received substantial payments for similar ads. Google and YouTube reportedly raked in $3 million for Spanish-language ads urging self-deportation, while Meta earned nearly $2.8 million.
A decision made by Spotify to discontinue advertisements from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been confirmed by the company. Following a fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis, the ads for the US government agency stopped running on the platform. However, it's worth noting that these recruitment ads were actually part of a larger campaign across multiple major media outlets.
The news comes after Spotify faced significant backlash and criticism over its role in airing the ads. Users were prompted to "join the mission to protect America" while listening to music on the ad-supported plan, with signing bonuses of up to $50,000 being offered to new recruits. Many called for boycotts of the service, with even some major music labels weighing in.
In an effort to assuage concerns, Spotify claimed that its policies were not violated by running the ads. However, users could opt out by marking them as unwanted. Despite this, a significant amount of money was generated from these ads, including $74,000 paid to Homeland Security for promoting ICE recruitment. This pales in comparison to other major tech companies, which received substantial payments for similar ads. Google and YouTube reportedly raked in $3 million for Spanish-language ads urging self-deportation, while Meta earned nearly $2.8 million.
. I mean, who wouldn't want to be associated with that kind of "warm and fuzzy" vibe? 
I guess it's good they listened to their users, but let's be real, $74k is a pretty penny 
. I feel like Spotify was just trying to stay above water, but at the same time, I'm kinda impressed they didn't completely ruin their rep 
. Guess you could say they "tuned out" the haters 
. Anyway, it's interesting that other major tech companies got off scot-free 
. Maybe Spotify just wanted to be a bit more... inclusive 
?
it's just not right that her death led to a huge change in Spotify's policies... I mean, I get why people were upset about the ads, they did seem kinda weird 
but at the same time, I think companies gotta be careful about what kinda content they're promoting. It's not like Spotify was directly funding ICE or anything 
, just kinda supporting their recruitment efforts in a way that rubbed some people the wrong way... 
. i was thinkin the other day, have you guys ever tried those new acai bowls at coffee shop downtown? mine had this weird texture that kinda made me wanna spit it out 
. anyway, back to spotify... cant believe they didnt catch on sooner 
i mean, it's not like they didn't know how people would react to that kinda thing... anyway, glad they're taking down the ads now. it's all about being mindful of our surroundings and making choices that align with what we stand for 
. Anyway, glad Spotify took down those ads... now if only other major players would follow suit 
guess not. anyone else think its weird how they were like "opt out" but still made that huge chunk of change from it? seems like a pretty weak excuse for not addressing the issue sooner 
. And let's be real, it's not like these major media outlets are above reproach just because they're big players in the industry 
.
. feels like corporate america is more concerned with the benjamins than doing what's right 
.
. And yeah, it's a bummer for the government that they lost out on some cash 
. I'm all about choosing what content I consume online, and if Spotify can give users more control over that, then yay 
! It's like, we should have the right to decide who our money supports, you know? 
. I mean, who would've thought that a music streaming service like Spotify would get into the business of promoting deportation policies? 
come on spotify cant they do a little research before promoting our tax dollars to the lowest bidder? 50k signing bonus sounds like sweet music to me 
but its actually our hard earned cash being funneled into a corrupt system that hurts people 
I can imagine how triggering those ads must've been for people who are already feeling vulnerable or scared about their immigration status. It's totally understandable that Spotify decided to pull out and apologize for the controversy 
. And Google and YouTube getting paid to promote self-deportation? That just reeks of an agenda. I'm not saying it was a deliberate conspiracy, but... 
! I mean who needs $50k to join the military 
? And let's be real 
, so kudos to Spotify for taking a stand 
! Now if only other big tech companies would follow suit 
...