Internal pressure from Spotify employees has successfully led to the removal of Andrew Tate’s controversial “pimping h*es” course from the streaming platform, according to internal communications reviewed by 404 Media.
The controversy began when concerned employees voiced their objections in Spotify’s #ethics-club Slack channel. “Pretty vile that we’re hosting Andrew Tate’s content,” wrote one employee, who shared a LinkedIn post criticizing the platform’s decision to host the course. Another employee sarcastically commented, “Happy Women’s History Month, everybody!” with a sweating smiling emoji.
Tate, a contentious influencer known for promoting misogynistic views and anti-semitic conspiracy theories, is currently facing serious legal troubles, including charges of human trafficking and rape.
While the “pimping hoes” course has been removed following the internal backlash, another Tate offering titled “How to get girls FAST AND EASY by Andrew Tate (PHD Course)” remains available on the platform, despite having accumulated over 70 comments requesting its removal.
The now-removed course had gathered 276 comments unanimously calling for its deletion. One comment highlighted the serious nature of the content: “These courses actively teach men how to manipulate, control, and profit from the exploitation of women. They are in breach of Spotify’s own terms of use, and they are promoting criminal activity.”
The controversial content was part of Spotify for Creators, a program designed to help podcasters monetize their content. Under this program, creators keep 100 percent of the $4.99 monthly subscription revenue, minus processing fees.
Some Spotify employees reported difficulties when attempting to flag the content through the platform’s official reporting system, though 404 Media successfully reported the show for “hateful or abusive content.”
The controversy has sparked wider backlash outside the company as well. Sam Taylor, a former Spotify user, stated on LinkedIn: “I cancelled my Spotify Premium subscription on Sunday night. When a company like Spotify gives a home to so-called ‘educational’ content like Andrew Tate’s ‘Pimping Hoes Degree course’—which gives people a playbook for coercive [sic] and control and sexual manipulation—I can’t continue to give that company money each month.”
A Change.org petition titled “Demand Spotify Remove Andrew Tate’s Harmful Courses on How to Traffic Women” has gathered over 55,000 signatures.
This emerges as Tate and his brother recently left Romania for the United States on a private jet, following reported pressure from the Trump administration on Romanian authorities. Florida’s attorney general is now investigating the brothers over allegations of human trafficking.
In an interview, Tate attempted to distance himself from his past controversial content, claiming that his “pimping h*es degree” references were meant to be satirical. “That was nine years ago, the internet was a very different place,” Tate stated. “If you’re going to sit here and say ‘oh nine years ago you said stupid things on the Internet,’ it’s not a gotcha moment because every single person has.”
After multiple requests for comment, Spotify spokesperson Grey Munford told 404 Media via email that the Tate episode was removed due to policy violations, not because of employee discussion.
This situation draws comparisons to Spotify’s handling of the Joe Rogan controversy in early 2022, when employees similarly pressured the company to take action against Rogan following the circulation of a compilation showing his use of racial slurs. In that case, CEO Daniel Ek apologized but maintained that “silencing Joe is not the answer,” emphasizing that while he condemned Rogan’s comments, “canceling voices is a slippery slope.”
Ultimately while Rogan did a lot for Spotify’s share price, they have no such attachment to Tate and his content – which made getting rid of it a much easier decision to make.
