Spotify’s Censorship Moment: Joe Rogan, Podcasts and Politics

Witch hunts were common practice in Europe during the period of 1450 to 1750, with an estimated 40,000 ‘witches’ having been put to death during the time.

Today’s witch hunts are playing out on social media instead, and it’s not dabbling with the Occult or having fiery red hair that will render one accused, but not conforming to very specific social narratives.

In medieval Germany, witches would often be subject to the swimming test. They’d be strapped to a chair and thrown into a pool of water. If they floated, they were convicted — because of course, renouncing baptism gave you such powers — and they’d promptly be burned at the stake. If they sank, they were innocent.

Some might say that these witches of old were offered a fairer trial than today’s accused, who rather than their bodies see their careers go up in flames, virtually overnight.

SPOTIFY’S QUEST FOR PODCAST DOMINANCE

Back in May, streaming giant Spotify announced a $100 million exclusive licensing deal, bringing The Joe Rogan Experience — one of the most popular podcasts in the world, with a reported 190 million monthly downloads — to the platform.

The deal came on the back of the company’s $340 million acquisition of podcast…