Spotify
Corprate Bias Ratings
Risk Level:
Summary:
Spotify, a music streaming company, vets vendors according to LGBTQ policies, is part of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, and does not provide its employees with protections against viewpoint discrimination. It has not publicly terminated business relationships based on views or beliefs, though. The company withstood liberal cancel culture pressure when a stream of boycotts asked Spotify to remove Joe Rogan from its platform. Spotify supports the Equality Act and has hosted fundraisers for Color of Change. The company also covers the cost of "medically necessary transition-related care" for its employees and their children. For these reasons, Spotify receives a Medium Risk rating.
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.
Spotify has not publicly fired customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs. The company has received a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) Corporate Equality Index. Among other requirements, this means Spotify has pledged to vet vendors based on LGBTQ policies (1)(2). Spotify is a member of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, which aims to demonetize advertisements and suppress content that “vilifies” individuals based on sexual orientation and gender identity, discusses “debated social issues in a negative or partisan context” or spreads “hate speech” (3)(4)(5). Spotify has refused to cave to activist pressure to cancel the popular Joe Rogan Experience podcast over accusations of “vaccine misinformation” (6). The company later created a content “Safety Advisory Council” (7).
Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.
Spotify restricts its charitable giving to nonprofits supporting racial justice and sustaining private music and entertainment venues (especially during the COVID-19 pandemic). It has no policy indicating discriminatory practices against faith-based charities (1).
Employment policies fail to protect against discrimination based on political affiliation/views and/or religion.
Spotify does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (1).
Uses corporate reputation to support ideological causes and/or organizations hostile to freedom of expression.
Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.
Spotify has a perfect score on the HRC’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index. This score indicates the company covers the cost of “medically necessary transition-related care” for its employees and their children (1)(2). Spotify is a member of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (3)(4)(5). The company has hosted fundraising events for nonprofits supporting racial justice, one of which benefited the progressive ideological group Color of Change (6)(7).
Uses corporate political contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.
Spotify does not operate a PAC at this time.
All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
November 28, 2023
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