Despite its rules, Spotify is still hosting QAnon-supporting shows

QAnon Spotify

Citation

Molly Butler / Media Matters

Update (3/14/22): Following the publication of this article, three of the QAnon-supporting shows mentioned -- MatrixxxGrooove Show, Steel Truth, and Cannabis and Combat -- appear to have been taken down.

Multiple figures who have supported the QAnon conspiracy theory have active shows hosted on Spotify, despite the platform’s previous crackdown on QAnon content. Some of the figures appear to have joined the platform only in recent weeks, even after the platform came under increased scrutiny for allowing podcaster Joe Rogan to spread rampant misinformation.

The QAnon conspiracy theory revolves around an anonymous account known as “Q,” and some of its supporters have been tied to violent incidents and participated in the January 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol. Multiple government agencies have also issued internal warnings of domestic terrorism regarding supporters of the conspiracy theory.

In October 2020, after Media Matters reported that multiple QAnon shows were on Spotify, the platform banned them, telling Insider that the company “prohibits content on the platform that promotes, advocates or incites violence against others.”

Yet a Media Matters review in late February and early March found that multiple QAnon-supporting figures have continued to stream on the platform -- with some joining the platform very recently. The shows and figures found in the review are:

  • Tomotley Talks, a show hosted by QAnon-supporting attorney and influencer Lin Wood. The show began in February and started uploading episodes on the platform that same month.

Spotify has also struggled to enforce its own rules with regard to other problematic figures like Joe Rogan and Alex Jones, along with coronavirus misinformation elsewhere on the platform.