Spotify ‘censored’ my Saudi-blasting Rogan appearance: Kyle Kulinski

According to the featured guest on Monday, Spotify appears to have censored an old episode of the Joe Rogan Experience show because of criticism voiced in it against Saudi Arabia. The Arab Kingdom, according to Kyle Kulinski, is a promising new market for the audio streaming company.

Kulinski, who has his own YouTube show called "Secular Talk", has been to Rogan's show several times over the years. Last week, Spotify canceled an episode that aired in October 2018. The assassination of dissident Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi was one of the topics he and Rogan discussed live on air.

Many people assumed the hit was ordered by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, from the start. Riyadh claimed it tried and sentenced a group of government operatives who 'went rogue' before killing the self-exiled Saudi journalist, according to the Kingdom. However, a source close to Saudi intelligence revealed that the killers of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi are living in seven-star, luxury villas funded by the government in Riyadh.

The Rogan show's guest described the circumstances surrounding Khashoggi's death at the Saudi embassy in Istanbul, which were already known at the time. Then he slammed Riyadh for allegedly committing war crimes and other wrongdoings during its disastrous war on Yemen.

Kulinski assured Twitter followers that Rogan "didn't use any racial slurs in the episode," adding that "Spotify just happened to expand into the Saudi market at the exact time that coincides with the banning."

My 2018 Joe Rogan Experience appearance was CENSORED by @Spotify. He didn't use any racial slurs in the episode. I RAILED against Saudi Arabia in it and Spotify just happened to expand into the Saudi market at the exact time that coincides with the banning (1/2) pic.twitter.com/R0bZxDvVEf
— Secular Talk🎙 (@KyleKulinski) February 7, 2022

He cited a recent Reuters report that explained how Rogan's podcast controversy could affect Spotify's stock price and plans to expand into new markets. The Swedish company "expanded its paid podcast subscriptions in 33 new markets and enabled podcasts for users in Russia, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia," according to the news agency.

Spotify has recently been put under pressure in the Arab world due to local competition. Anghami, a UAE-based rival streaming service, soared more than 80% in its Nasdaq debut last Friday after a $220 million merger. Meanwhile, as a result of the Rogan saga, Spotify's stock has plummeted.

Censored Covid-19 information

In response to public and White House pressure, Spotify announced a new policy on Covid-19 content, promising to add advisories and links to "trusted sources" on the pandemic. Some of the criticism was directed at the host, who admitted that after having someone controversial on his show, he should have done a better job of inviting people with opposing viewpoints.

Following that, the purge of previous episodes was about more than just alleged misinformation. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek made the decision to remove them, citing Rogan's "history of using some racially insensitive language."

It was reportedly in response to Spotify's refusal to de-platform Rogan's show after a video of him using the N-word went viral in the past. Rogan's supporters retaliated by showing footage of Joe Biden using the racial slur decades ago to back up the podcaster's argument that the context in which the word is used should be taken into account.

"I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer," Spotify's Ek said, despite the fact that some people would like to see more done about Rogan.