- WHO's chief thanked singer Neil Young for issuing an ultimatum to Spotify over COVID misinformation.
- Young had asked the streamer to choose between his music and the podcast "The Joe Rogan Experience."
- Several episodes of the podcast have promoted false claims about COVID-19.
On Thursday, the World Health Organization's top dog commended singer Neil Young for insisting that his music be removed from Spotify over COVID-19 misinformation from a well-known podcast on its streaming service.
"@NeilYoungNYA, thanks for standing up against misinformation and inaccuracies around #COVID19 vaccination," tweeted Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
"Public and private sector, in particular #socialmedia platforms, media, individuals — we all have a role to play to end this pandemic and infodemic," he wrote, reposting a Rolling Stone article that broke the news of Young's decision.
Young on Tuesday wrote a now-deleted open letter to his manager and a Warner Records executive demanding that his songs be removed from Spotify.
"I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines – potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them," the Canadian-American musician wrote, according to Rolling Stone.
He singled out "The Joe Rogan Experience" as one of the podcasts promoting COVID misinformation.
"They can have Rogan or Young. Not Both," he wrote in the letter.
More than 270 healthcare workers, scientists, and educators signed an open letter to Spotify earlier this month, asking the platform to better police COVID misinformation on its podcasts after one of Rogan's episodes was published.
On Thursday, Spotify said it had removed Young's music from its platform, adding that it regretted the musician's decision but hoped it could "welcome him back soon."
Tedros has been vocal about the spread of pandemic misinformation, saying last April that combating the "infodemic is as vital for saving lives as public health measures," like rules around mask-wearing and ensuring vaccine equity.
"Public trust in science and evidence is essential for overcoming COVID-19," he said.