Campaign group, Spotify Unwrapped, calls for boycott of streaming platform over continued ICE adverts
A new campaign, called Spotify Unwrapped, has called for users to boycott the streaming platform due to continued ICE advertisements and AI music.
The same organisation behind the No Kings protests in the US, which saw millions march against Donald Trump’s administration across each state in America, has launched the new initiative.
The groups behind the idea, 50501 Movement, Indivisible Project, and Working Families, have utilised the title to capitalise on the Spotify Wrapped feature of the platform, which summarises a person’s listening habits for the year.
As per Consequence, co-founder and co-executive director of Indivisible, Ezra Levin, shared, “Every year Spotify Wrapped is supposed to celebrate artists and listeners. This year, Spotify decided to wrap itself in complicity instead.”
He added, “They’re exploiting artists’ work while quietly recruiting for ICE, a secret police force tearing families apart.”
Levin continued, “Spotify isn’t just playing along with the Trump regime’s authoritarian turn – they’re amplifying it. Spotify only works because of us. Now it’s on all of us to force accountability.”
Their website insists, “We are unwrapping Spotify to reveal the harm they are causing in the world.” It includes plenty of downloadables to share online, as well as a reiterated call to cancel your Spotify subscription.
Under fire earlier this year for the inclusion of ICE adverts in the free tier option, Spotify responded by defending their decision, “The content does not violate our advertising policies.”
Spotify’s outgoing CEO, Daniel Ek, also came under fire this year after it was revealed that he invests millions in AI military drone technology. Ek has since announced his plans to step down from his position at Spotify as CEO and will take up a new position as executive chair in January.
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