Joni Mitchell said Friday she stands with her friend and fellow Canadian artist Neil Young, who sought to get his music taken off Spotify.
“I’ve decided to remove all my music from Spotify,” Mitchell said in a brief statement posted on her website. “Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives.
“I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue.”
The platform has been widely criticized for hosting Joe Rogan’s podcast, which has shared misinformation about COVID-19 and amplified conspiracy theories.
Days ago, Spotify said it agreed to remove Young’s music. He had accused the streaming service of “spreading fake information about vaccines – potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them.”
Young said he hopes other artists will follow him – “but I can’t really expect that to happen.”
Singer Barry Manilow took to Twitter on Friday to address reports that he was following Young's lead. "I recently heard a rumour about me and Spotify," he wrote. "I don’t know where it started, but it didn’t start with me or anyone who represents me."