Spotify has landed in hot water once again, this time for airing recruitment ads for ICE on its free, ad supported tier, sparking backlash and calls for a boycott.
Over the past month, listeners have reported hearing Department of Homeland Security ads urging Americans to “join the mission to protect the US” by working for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The spots, which also promise recruits a chance to “fulfil your purpose”, have been blasted across Reddit and X as users demand accountability from the music giant.
A Spotify spokesperson told Rolling Stone the ICE commercials were part of a “broad campaign” and did not violate any platform policies. They added that users could “thumbs up or down” the ads to help manage future preferences, a response many critics have called tone deaf.
The timing has only added fuel to the fire. Under the Trump administration’s $30 billion plan to expand deportation operations, the DHS has been aggressively recruiting, aiming to hire at least 10,000 new officers before year’s end. The campaign has spread across X, YouTube, Amazon Prime, LinkedIn, and other major platforms.
Some ads reportedly target law enforcement directly, appealing to police officers in “sanctuary cities” who have been “ordered to stand down while dangerous illegals walk free.” Others have since appeared on HBO Max and Pandora.
Following the reports, angry listeners have turned to VPNs to dodge the ads, while others have scrapped their subscriptions altogether.
In a statement to Rolling Stone, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended the campaign: “There was nothing offensive or partisan with removing what it called criminals from the United States. The ICE recruitment campaign is a resounding success with more than 150,000 applications rolling in from patriotic Americans answering the call to defend the Homeland.”
Adding to Spotify’s woes, users are also reigniting a boycott over ex-CEO Daniel Ek’s defence tech investments, which saw acts like Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Massive Attack ditch the service.
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