Spotify has no plans to pull the Department of Homeland Security’s ICE recruitment ads from their platform, though as the music streamer told Newsweek, listeners are welcome to give the ads a thumbs up or thumbs down.
Spotify listeners noticed the ads earlier this week promoting $50,000 signing bonuses, with some on social media calling for boycotts. “I get an ad and it starts with, ‘millions of dangerous illegals are rampaging the streets. Join ICE today,’” User miss.mia777 posted on TikTok. “I don’t pick up my phone while driving. I picked up my phone with a quickness and deleted the app.”
The DHS claims that the recruiting campaign is a resounding success.
This year Spotify has also been targeted for boycotts due to CEO Daniel Ek’s stake in a drone company, Helsing. Massive Attack, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Xiu Xiu, Deerhoof, Hotline TNT, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor have all pulled their music in protest. Helsing has issued a statement reading, in part, “Our technology is deployed to European countries for deterrence and for defense against the Russian aggression in Ukraine only.”