An Open Letter to Spotify: A call from the global scientific and medical communities to implement a misinformation policy
On Dec. 31, 2021, the Joe Rogan Experience (JRE), a Spotify-exclusive podcast, uploaded a highly controversial episode featuring guest Dr. Robert Malone (#1757). The episode has been criticized for promoting baseless conspiracy theories and the JRE has a concerning history of broadcasting misinformation, particularly regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. By allowing the propagation of false and societally harmful assertions, Spotify is enabling its hosted media to damage public trust in scientific research and sow doubt in the credibility of data-driven guidance offered by medical professionals. JRE #1757 is not the only transgression to occur on the Spotify platform, but a relevant example of the platform’s failure to mitigate the damage it is causing.
We are a coalition of scientists, medical professionals, professors, and science communicators spanning a wide range of fields such as microbiology, immunology, epidemiology, and neuroscience and we are calling on Spotify to take action against the mass-misinformation events which continue to occur on its platform. With an estimated 11 million listeners per episode, JRE is the world’s largest podcast and has tremendous influence. Though Spotify has a responsibility to mitigate the spread of misinformation on its platform, the company presently has no misinformation policy.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Joe Rogan has repeatedly spread misleading and false claims on his podcast, provoking distrust in science and medicine. He has discouraged vaccination in young people and children, incorrectly claimed that mRNA vaccines are “gene therapy,” promoted off-label use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 (contrary to FDA warnings ), and spread a number of unsubstantiated conspiracy theories. In episode #1757, Rogan hosted Dr. Robert Malone, who was suspended from Twitter for spreading misinformation about COVID-19. Dr. Malone used the JRE platform to further promote numerous baseless claims, including several falsehoods about COVID-19 vaccines and an unfounded theory that societal leaders have “hypnotized” the public. Many of these statements have already been discredited . Notably, Dr. Malone is one of two recent JRE guests who has compared pandemic policies to the Holocaust . These actions are not only objectionable and offensive, but also medically and culturally dangerous.
The average age of JRE listeners is 24 years old and according to data from Washington State, unvaccinated 12-34 year olds are 12 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID than those who are fully vaccinated. Dr. Malone’s interview has reached many tens of millions of listeners vulnerable to predatory medical misinformation. Mass-misinformation events of this scale have extraordinarily dangerous ramifications. As scientists, we face backlash and resistance as the public grows to distrust our research and expertise. As educators and science communicators, we are tasked with repairing the public’s damaged understanding of science and medicine. As physicians, we bear the arduous weight of a pandemic that has stretched our medical systems to their limits and only stands to be exacerbated by the anti-vaccination sentiment woven into this and other episodes of Rogan’s podcast.
This is not only a scientific or medical concern; it is a sociological issue of devastating proportions and Spotify is responsible for allowing this activity to thrive on its platform. We, the undersigned doctors, nurses, scientists, and educators thus call on Spotify to immediately establish a clear and public policy to moderate misinformation on its platform.
Signed,
Adriana Sosa, DO: Medical Resident
Adrianna Tseretopoulos, MBBS, MRCGP: Physician
Alexis Paulson, MSN, APRN: Nurse Practitioner
Alie Ward: Host/Science Correspondent, Ologies Podcast
Allison Myers, MD, MPH: Nurse Practitioner
Allison Neitzel, MD: Physician
Alyssa Fears, PhD, MPH&TM: Postdoctoral Fellow; University of Texas Medical Branch
Anand Swaminathan, MD, MPH: Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, St. Joseph’s University Medical Center
Andrea Love, PhD: Immunologist/Microbiologist
Andrei Mayer, PhD: Assistant Professor, Federal University of Santa Catarina
Andrew Bauman, MD: Medical Faculty; Geisle School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Angela Lindsay, AGPCNP: Nurse Practitioner
Angharad Ames, MD: Chief Resident, University of California Riverside
Anita Patel, MD: Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Childrens National Medical Center
Anna Stovall, PhD: Associate Medical Writer, Apothecom
April English, MPH: Science Correspondent, Unbiased Science Podcast
Arden Heath: Clinical Microbiology MS Student
AS Richards: Research Fellow, Science Communicator
Asher Williams, PhD: Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow, Cornell University
Ashim Ahuja, MD: Physician
Ashley Pacheco, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC: Nurse Practitioner
Atoosa Kourosh, MD, MPH: Clinical Faculty, Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine
Autumn Schuster, MSW, LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker, University of California Irvine
Avisha NessAiver, MS: Chief Science Officer, MedStartr Direct
Azad Gucwa, PhD, MT(ASCP): Assistant Professor; Farmingdale State College
Azizul Rehman, MD: Interventional Cardiologist
Azza Gadir, PhD: Immunologist
Baptiste Lacoste, PhD: Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa
Barry Jarvis, MD: Attending Physician
Ben Rein, PhD: Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University
Benjamin Steinberg, PsyD: Psychologist
Bianca Patel, MD, MPH: Pediatrician
Blair Bentley, PhD: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Bnar Talabani, MBBCh: Clinical Nephrologist
Boris Tezak, PhD: Postdoctoral Fellow, Duke University Medical Center
Breann Abernathy, PhD: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Minnesota
Brianna Soreth, MA: Clinical Research Coordinator
Bridget Scallen, MS: Editor, Unbiased Science Podcast
Cara Grome, MD: Psychiatrist
Cara L Santa Maria, MS, MA: Psychotherapist, PhD Candidate, Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Carl Nathan, MD: Professor, Weill Cornell Medicine
Carrie Ingersoll-Wood: PhD Candidate, Syracuse University
Cassandre Gousse, BSN, RN: Registered Nurse
Chelsea Matos, MSN, FNP-C: Family Nurse Practitioner
Christian Capitini, MD: Associate Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Christine Garvey, DVM: Associate Veterinarian
Christopher McMillan, PhD: Postdoctoral Fellow, The University of Queensland
Cole Kraten: Director of Research, Grasshopper Farms
Colleen Trecartin-Frost, DMD: Dentist
Courtney Kennedy, MS, PA-C: Physician Assistant
Crissi Stokes, DHSc: Professor
Crystal Pawula, MSN: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
Cydney Jardine, MPH: Epidemiological Researcher, Colorado State University
Daniel Anthony Barone, MD: Associate Professor of Clinical Neurology; Weill Cornell Medicine
Daniel Wilson, PhD: Analytical Scientist, Eurofins
Danielle Jones, MD, FACOG: Consultant, Southland DHB
Danielle Levitt, PhD: Postdoctoral Fellow, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
David Craig, MD: Emergency Medicine Physician
David Levine, MA: Writer/Researcher, Johns Hopkins University
David Stukus, MD: Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy and Immunology, Nationwide Childrens Hospital and The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Dee Chohan, MBBChir, FACEM: Staff Specialist in Emergency Medicine
Divya Ramjee, MS: PhD Candidate, Adjunct Professor, American University
Dorothy Zahor, MS: Eastern Michigan University
Eden Maness, MA: Psychiatry Research Fellow, Harvard Medical School
Elisabeth Marnik, PhD: Assistant Professor of Molecular Biochemistry and Microbiology
Elissa Tremblay, MSN: Nurse Practitioner
Elizabeth Cebul, PhD: Postdoctoral Fellow
Elizabeth Delery, PhD: Assistant Professor, Marian University
Elle Michel, LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Emily Cheng, BSN, RN, CCRN-CSC: ICU Nurse
Emily Scott, RN, BSN: Registered Nurse
Emma Fite-Wassilak, MD: Family Physician
Eric Burnett, MD, MBS: Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Eric Topol, MD: Professor and EVP, Scripps Research
Erica Wilson, PharmD, BCPS: Assistant Professor, Notre Dame of MD University School of Pharmacy
Erin MacMillan, PA: Physician Associate
Esther Sandoval, MSc: Associate Professor, College of the Sequoias
Ethan Chapin, MD: Emergency Physician
Forrest Valkai: Masters Student, University of Tulsa
Flyne Anderson, RN, BSN: Registered Nurse
Francis Barany, PhD: Professor, Weill Cornell Medicine
Gabriel Evaristo, MD: Obstetrician-Gynecologist
Gabrielle Hood, MD: Staff Physician
Georgina Morley, PhD
Glen Pyle, PhD: Professor, University of Guelph
Gregory Baker, MD: Attending Anesthesiologist
Haley Amplo: Graduate Researcher, Rutgers University Newark
Hayley Dewey-Hagborg, MS: Associate Scientist, Intellia Therapeutics
Heather Caslin, PhD: Postdoctoral Fellow, Vanderbilt University
Heather Irobunda, MD: Attending Physician
Imogen R Coe, PhD: Professor, Ryerson University
Inna Kanevsky, PhD: Professor, San Diego Mesa College
Jaclyn Steinbach, BVetMed MRCVS: Head of Veterinary Translational Medicine
Jaclyn Usuriello, RN, BSN: Research Nurse
Jaclyn Wolfe: Senior Biochemist
James Bradac, PhD: Former Chief, Preclinical R&D, Division of Aids, NIAID, NIH
Jason Prystowsky, MD, MPH: Emergency Physician
Jen Gunter, MD: Physician
Jen Nossokoff, PA-C: Physician Assistant
Jena Hales, PhD: Associate Professor of Neuroscience, University of San Diego
Jenna Lizewski, DNP, FNP-C: Family Nurse Practitioner
Jenna Meyers, MSN, CPNP: Emergency Medicine Nurse Practitioner
Jennifer Hickey: Senior Research Associate, Sherlock Biosciences
Jennifer Lincoln, MD: Attending Physician
Jennifer Wenzel, PhD: Assistant Professor, University of San Diego
Jessica Malaty Rivera, MS: Infectious Disease Epidemiology Research Fellow, Boston Children’s Hospital
Jessica Steier, DrPH: Public Health Scientist
Jessica Stokes-Parish, PhD, RN, MNurs: Assistant Professor of Medicine, Bond University
Jessie Brown, PhD: Postdoctoral Fellow, Columbia University
Jilyan Decker, MD: Resident Physician
Joan Chandra, MD: Instructor in Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Johanna Hild, DO: Resident Physician
John Brownstein, PhD: Professor, Harvard Medical School
John P Moore, PhD: Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine
Jonathan Alessi: MD/PhD Candidate
Jonathan Jarry, MSc: Science Correspondent, McGill University
Jonathan Laxton, MD, FRCPC: Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Manitoba
Jonathan N Stea, PhD: Clinical Psychologist, Adjust Assistant Professor, University of Calgary
Joseph Osmundson, PhD: Clinical Assistant Professor, New York University
Joseph Zundell, PhD: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania
Juan R Cubillos-Ruiz, PhD: Associate Professor of Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine
Justin Trotter, PhD: Instructor, Stanford University
Justyna Kulpa, PhD: Senior Scientist, Canopy Growth Corporation
Kaitlyn Gooding, MD: Medical Resident
Karen Nguyen: Public Health Microbiologist, Cal State University Fullerton
Karen Tang, MD, MPH: Senior Physician
Karl Nadolsky, DO: Endocrinologist, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Michigan State University
Katie Ruschman, RN, BSN: Nurse
Katie Stiles, PhD: Assistant Professor of Research, Weill Cornell Medicine
Katrine L Wallace, PhD: Epidemiologist, Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health
Kayla A Nichols, PharmD: Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Emory University
Kirsta Hoffman, MD: Physician
Korinne Bricker: COVID-19 Laboratory Supervisor
Kristen Watt, RPh: Pharmacist
Kristin Fontes, MD: Emergency Medicine Physician
Lace Riggs, PhD: Postdoctoral Fellow; Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Lara Lambert, MD: Physician
Laur Rubino, PhD
Laura Dees, BSN, MS, APRN, CRNA
Laura Hlohinec, RN: Registered Nurse
Lauren Bello-Matricaria, MPH: Clinical Research Monitor
Laren Seserko, OTR/L
Leah Steinberg: Medical Student
Lexi Goldstein, MD: Medical Resident
Lia Griffiths, PsyD: Psychologist
Lindsey Shultz, MD: Public Health Advisor
Lisa Boone, PA-C: Physician Assistant
Lisle Winston, MD: Medical Resident
Loralee Richter, PA-C, MS: Physician Assistant
Lorna Tychostup, MS: Senior Communications Consultant, NYU
Maddy Lewis, MPH: Infectious Disease Epidemiologist
Madelyn Pecyne, PA-C:Physician Assistant
Maike Neuhaus, PhD: Honorary Research Fellow, University of Queensland
Mallory Harris: PhD Student, Stanford University
Marcia Miller, MD: Physician
Maren Abromowitz, MSN: Family Nurse Practitioner
Maria Victoria Dreher Wentz, MSc: Science Communicator
Marie-Helene Lofland ANP-BC, CCRN, NEA: Nurse Practitioner
Mary Colasanto, PhD: Clinical Genomic Scientist, PerkinElmer Genomics
Mauricio Gonzales-Arias, MD: Attending Physician
Megan Hanley, NAR: Nursing Assistant
Melanie Evans Jakle, MSc: Research Scientist
Melissa Aswad, MPAS, PA-C: Physician Assistant
Merridee Lefner, PhD: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Texas at San Antonio
Michael Aptman, MD: Professor, University of Miami School of Medicine
Michael LaFontaine, PhD: Professor of Medical Biochemistry, Marian University COM
Michael Lederman, MD: Professor of Medicine (Emeritus), Case Western Reserve University
Michael Natter, MD: Endocrinology Fellow
Michelle Krogsgaard, PhD: Associate Professor, New York University School of Medicine
Milene Vandal, PhD: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Calgary
Mirella Salvatore, MD: Assistant Professor of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine
Miriam Merad, MD, PhD: Director, Precision Immunology Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Mirvat Termos, MPH: PhD Student
Moira Rashid, MD, MPH
Molly Nowels: PhD Candidate, Rutgers School of Public Health
Monique L. Smith, PhD: Assistant Professor of Neuroscience, University of San Diego
Morgan Freney: PhD Candidate, University of Queensland
Natalie Soto, MSc: Science Teacher
Natasha Bolotinsky, MD: Attending Physician
Navinder Jassil, MD: Endocrinologist
Neil Harrison, PhD: Professor, Columbia University
Nils-Petter Rudqvist, PhD: Assistant Professor, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Nini Muñoz, PhD: Senior Design Engineer, Garmin Intl.
Océane Sorel, DVM, PhD
Olivia Grant: PhD Student
Pascal S.C. Juang, MD: Physician, Former Chief Resident at Harvard Emergency Medicine
Paul Ian Cross, MSc, PhD: Clinical Research Consultant
Poorvi Desai, MD: Hematologist/Oncologist
Pushpendra Patel, MS, MD: Medical Student
Rachael Zemek, PhD: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Western Australia
Rachel Aslanian, BSN
Rachel Mirabai Moore Troll, BSN, RN: Registered Nurse
Rashmi Advani, MD, DABOM: Gastroenterology Fellow, Stony Brook University Hospital
Rayna Sobieski, MD: Attending Physician
Renee Cavanagh, PsyD: Subject Matter Expert, DHA
Risa Hoshino, MD: Pediatrician
Robert Duff, PhD: Clinical Neuropsychologist
Robin Hills, MMSci, MSRCS: Instructor, Shoreline Community College
Roger Nattrass, MD: Anesthesiologist
Romy Blacklaw, RN, IPN: Registered Nurse
Roshni Rao, PhD: Director, Johns Hopkins University
Ruben Diaz, DNP, FNP-BC: Nurse Practitioner
Ryan Marino, MD: Assistant Professor, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Sabina Vohra-Miller, MSc: DrPH Student
Sallie Permar, MD, PhD: Professor and Chair of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine
Samantha Yammine, PhD: Neuroscientist, University of Toronto
Samira Jeimy, MD, PhD, FRCPC: Program Director and Assistant Professor, Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Western University
Sampril Banerjee, PhD, MStat: Associate Professor, Weill Cornell Medicine
Samuel Cohn, MD: Neurologist
Sandra Demaria, MD: Professor of Radiation Oncology and Pathology, Weill Cornell Medicine
Sara Gering, RN, BSN: Registered Nurse
Sara Pentlicky, MD, MPH: Chief, Division of Complex Family Planning
Sarah J McAnulty, PhD: Executive Director, Skype a Scientist, University of Connecticut
Sarah Perl, LCSW-R: Licensed Clinical Worker
Sasha Strul, MD: Pediatric Ophthalmologist and Strabismus Surgeon, University of Minnesota
Saskia Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA: Assistant Professor, George Mason University
Scott Fujimoto, DO: Assistant Professor, Loma Linda University
Sean Adwar, MD: Interventional Radiologist
Seth Trueger, MD, MPH, FACEP: Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Seth Turner, MD: Physician
Shari K Moore, DO: Resident Physician
Shauna O’Neal, CNM, FNP-C, RN, MSN: Registered Nurse
Shawn Carbonell, MD, PhD: CEO, Brazen Bio
Sheridan Nygard, MPH: Behavioral Health Case Manager, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Shoshana Ungerleider, MD: Internal Medicine / Host, TED Health Podcast
Silvia Chiara Formenti, MD: Professor, Weill Cornell Medicine
Sindhu Sathyanarayana, MBBS: Physician
Siyamak Saleh, MD: Medical Doctor, Department of Health South Africa
Spencer R Scott, PhD
Staci Tanouye, MD: Staff Physician
Stacey De-Lin, MD: Associate Medical Director
Steve Rathje: PhD Candidate
Stuart Horowitz, PhD, MBA: President and CEO, Institution Insights, LLC
Susanna Harris, PhD: Senior Manager of Communications, Xontogeny
Sushmita Mukherjee, PhD: Associate Professor of Research, Weill Cornell Medicine
Sydney Vita, PhD: Postdoctoral Fellow, Louisiana State University Health Sciences College
Tanya Lama, PhD: Postdoctoral Fellow, SUNY Stony Brook
Taylor Nichols, MD: Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor, University of California San Francisco
Teagan Wall, PhD
Teresa Albernas, MSN: Nurse Practitioner
Terra Kater, MSN, AGNP-C: Nurse Practitioner
Tessa Cremer: MPH Student, University of Minnesota
Thierry Alquier, PhD: Associate Professor, University of Montreal
Timothy Caulfield: Professor, University of Alberta
Todd Wolynn, MD: Pediatrician, CEO, Kids Plus Pediatrics
Tracy Ruscetti, PhD: Science Correspondent
Troy Wood, PhD: Associate Professor, University at Buffalo
Tyler Kuhk, MN, ARNP, AGNP-C: Nurse Practitioner
Valentina Martinez Damonte, PhD: Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University
Veronica Certeza, RN: Nurse Practitioner
Victor Ruthig, PhD: Postdoctoral Fellow, Weill Cornell Medicine
Walter Ian Lipkin, MD: Professor, Columbia University
Wen H Shen, PhD: Associate Professor, Weill Cornell Medicine
Willem Hanekom, MBChB: Professor, University College London
William Giardino, PhD: Assistant Professor, Stanford University
William Hanage, PhD: Associate Professor, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Yasmin Mohseni, PhD: Scientist, Quell Therapeutics
Yevgeniya Sergeyenko, MD, MPH: Medicine Fellow, Emory University School of Medicine
Zachary Rubin, MD: Clinical Immunologist
Zainab Tanvir, MS: PhD Student,