“There’s some real self-examination to be doing beyond Joe,” Mr Wihbey said. The streaming site also has to decide whether offensive words are allowable elsewhere on its app, where songs with racist, homophobic and anti-immigrant messages are available, said John Wihbey, a Northeastern University professor and specialist in emerging technologies. He has the right to say what he wants,’ that continues on the line where there is this implicit support to say racist things on these platforms,” she said in an interview before Mr Ek’s letter emerged. Neil Young asked Spotify to remove his music from the platform in protest over what he called the company’s decision to allow Covid-19 misinformation to spread on its service (Cabage/Invision/AP) On race, the choice is between keeping Rogan and sending a message that society has become too “woke”, or showing that Spotify is more attuned to a multiracial society, said Adia Harvey Wingfield, a sociology professor at Washington University in St Louis. Whether Spotify continues to keep Rogan or cuts ties, the decision likely will not sit well with one side or the other in an increasingly polarised America. He said he was “deeply sorry” for the impact the controversy was having on Spotify’s workforce. Looking at the issue more broadly, it’s critical thinking and open debate that powers real and necessary progress.” Mr Ek wrote: “We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but cancelling voices is a slippery slope.

It reportedly paid 100 million dollars (£74 million) to exclusively host the podcast, so dropping Rogan threatens the company’s bottom line but is also a key part of its strategy to be a one-stop shop for audio.

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