Spotify

Sweden
Media and Entertainment

Risk Level:

Rating - Clear
Lower Risk

Summary:

Despite its pledge to vet vendors for LGBTQ policies and lack of political affiliation protections for its employees, Spotify has not publicly canceled any business relationships or fired any employees due to views or beliefs. It withstood liberal cancel culture pressure when a stream of boycotts asked Spotify to remove Joe Rogan from its platform. Spotify supports the Equality Act but has not otherwise used its corporate reputation to support ideological causes or groups hostile to freedom of expression. For these reasons, Spotify receives a "Lower Risk" rating.

Criteria
Risk Level
Rationale
Corporate Weaponization
Criteria

Has denied service to customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level
Rationale

Spotify has not publicly terminated business relationships due to religious beliefs or political views. The company received a score of 100 on the Corporate Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign. Among other requirements, this means Spotify has pledged to vet vendors based on LGBTQ policies (1). Spotify has refused to cave to activist pressure to cancel the popular Joe Rogan Experience podcast over accusations of “vaccine misinformation” (2).

Criteria

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level
Rationale

Spotify restricts its charitable giving to nonprofits supporting racial justice and sustaining private music and entertainment venues (especially during the COVID-19 pandemic). Spotify has no policy indicating discriminatory practices against faith-based charities (1).

Criteria

Employment policies fail to protect against discrimination based on political affiliation/views and/or religion.

Risk Level
Rationale

Spotify does not protect its employees from viewpoint discrimination (1).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy
Criteria

Uses corporate reputation to support ideological causes and/or organizations hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level
Rationale

Spotify has signed a letter in support of the Equality Act (1). It has not otherwise used its corporate reputation to support ideological causes or policies.

Criteria

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level
Rationale

Spotify has hosted fundraising events for nonprofits supporting racial justice, one of which benefited the progressive ideological group Color of Change (1). It has not explicitly used funds to support partisan political groups or advance agendas.

Criteria

Uses corporate political contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level
N/A
Rationale

Spotify does not have a PAC.

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
March 27, 2023

Company reports are intended for educational use only. Full Disclaimer

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