SPOTIFY IS THE LATEST TECH COMPANY TO SUSPEND POLITICAL ADVERTISING AHEAD OF THE 2020 ELECTION
Source | www.newsweek.com | JENNIFER DOHERTY
Spotify has joined the list of digital platforms that no longer accept political advertisements as the race to the November 2020 presidential election heats up.
The music streaming service announced its decision Friday, following in the footsteps of tech industry giants Twitter and Google that also referenced similar bans last month. The policies provided a stark contrast to Facebook’s continued refusal to fact-check paid advertising on its site.
“Beginning in early 2020, Spotify will pause the selling of political advertising. This will include political advertising content in our ad-supported tier and in Spotify original and exclusive podcasts,” a Spotify spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement to Newsweek.
Spotify reported more than 248 million active monthly users worldwide in the third quarter of 2019; of those, more than 141 million subscribe to the platform’s free, advertising-funded tier. For a monthly fee, users can upgrade to avoid listening to ads.
Recent political advertisers on Spotify have included Senator Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign and the Republican National Committee, Ad Age reported. Newsweek emailed requests for comment to both groups.