Controversial ICE recruitment ads no longer running on Spotify

Spotify is no longer running controversial recruitment adverts for the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on its platform, the streaming giant has said in a statement to Variety.

Last year, Spotify attracted criticism for an advertising campaign running on the platform attempting to recruit US residents to become ICE agents. According to Rolling Stone, one ad read: "You took an oath to protect and serve, to keep your family, your city, safe. But in sanctuary cities, you’re ordered to stand down while dangerous illegals walk free."

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On Wednesday, January 7, an ICE agent shot and killed a US citizen, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, in Minneapolis. Following the fatal shooting, Variety approached Spotify asking whether it was still running advertisements across its platform with a spokesperson confirming that the campaign “ended in December”.

“There are currently no ICE ads running on Spotify,” the spokesperson said. “The advertisements mentioned were part of a US government recruitment campaign that ran across all major media and platforms.”

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Promotional material was criticised at the time as it came amidst allegations of human rights abuses against the federal organisation. Ads ran as part of the Trump administration’s plan to crackdown on what it controversially calls “aliens”, with hopes to hire 10,000 deportation officers by the end of last year.

Rolling Stone reported in November that the streaming giant received $74,000 from the Department of Homeland Security to run the ad campaign. Platforms like Google, YouTube, Hulu and Amazon also ran similar adverts.

[Via: Variety]

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter