Spotify has confirmed it is no longer running recruitment ads for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE. This announcement came after months of pressure and backlash from listeners. However, many users are not satisfied with the explanation.
A large number of Spotify users believe this change came too late to make a real difference. Listeners had been canceling their subscriptions and demanding the platform remove the ads because of ICE’s controversial activities. Most critics think Spotify only stopped the ads because the contract ended, not because the company took any moral position.
According to The Daily Dot, a Spotify representative tried to downplay the situation by saying the ads were part of a larger U.S. government recruitment campaign. The representative said, “There are currently no ICE ads running on Spotify. The advertisements mentioned were part of a U.S. government recruitment campaign that ran across all major media and platforms.”
Spotify’s timing raises serious questions about corporate responsibility
The company claims the campaign ended naturally at the end of 2025. But the controversy started much earlier, especially given the public criticism of ICE’s actions. The organization has faced widespread condemnation, with some comparing it to a modern-day Gestapo due to reports of terrorizing and kidnapping people. Recently, ICE reportedly teargassed children in a car, nearly killing a baby.
This pattern of behavior made Spotify’s connection to ICE look very bad. The ads stopped just before an ICE agent named Jonathan Ross shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis, Minnesota. That murder sparked massive protests and outrage from well-known figures, pushing more people to demand companies cut ties with the agency. The initial backlash over ICE recruitment ads had already caused major controversy for the platform.
Paste Magazine associate editor Casey Epstein-Gross clarified the situation, saying, “spotify has not ended its partnership with ICE; ICE has ended that specific ad campaign. and, according to a spotify rep i spoke to, spotify does not seem particularly willing to cut ties for good.” This statement suggests Spotify remains open to working with ICE in the future.
The backlash on social media has been severe. One user wrote, “Too little too late. Fuck @Spotify.” Another commented, “them EOY revenue numbers not looking too good huh.” One frustrated listener said, “The fact they ever ran ICE should be affirmation that corporations love fascists.”
Many listeners have already switched to other platforms. One user explained, “I stopped using Spotify a few months back & started using Qobuz & I haven’t looked back since! Spotify invests in the illegal occupation known as ‘Israel’, runs ICE ads, gives you shitty quality music & pays artists the LOWEST per stream! ‼️CANCEL SPOTIFY ASAP, it’s the WORST‼️”
This isn’t the first time the platform has faced criticism, as users recently discovered AI-generated bands gaining popularity on Spotify. Spotify’s reputation has taken a serious hit, and the company will need to work hard to win back trust from listeners who care about corporate ethics.
Published: Jan 20, 2026 01:59 pm