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Neil Young Threatens to Pull Music from Spotify Over Joe Rogan's COVID 'Disinformation'

Neil Young and Joe Rogan
Neil Young and Joe Rogan

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Neil Young is using his music to take a stand against COVID misinformation.

The Grammy Award winner, 76, reportedly demanded his management team and record label give Spotify an ultimatum between his music and Joe Rogan's podcast, posting an open letter to his website Monday that appears to have since been deleted.

"I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines – potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them," he wrote, according to Rolling Stone and Variety. "Please act on this immediately today and keep me informed of the time schedule."

RELATED: Neil Young Sues Donald Trump for Copyright Infringement, Calls His Campaign 'Un-American'

"I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform. They can have [Joe] Rogan or Young. Not both," Young added, according to the outlets.

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Reps for Spotify and Rogan did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Neil Young
Neil Young

Angela Weiss/Getty Images

Young referenced the misinformation Rogan, 54, has shared on his Joe Rogan Experience podcast. A group of 270 scientists, professors and medical professionals previously shared an open letter to Spotify on New Year's Eve, requesting the audio streamer implement a misinformation policy.

"By allowing the propagation of false and societally harmful assertions, Spotify is enabling its hosted media to damage public trust in scientific research and sow doubt in the credibility of data-driven guidance offered by medical professionals," they wrote.

RELATED: Joe Rogan Responds to Backlash Against His Vaccine Comments: 'I'm a F------ Moron'

Joe Rogan
Joe Rogan

The Joe Rogan Experience/Youtube

The letter cited Rogan discouraging vaccinations in young people and children, falsely claiming that mRNA vaccines are "gene therapy," and promoting off-label use of ivermectin to treat COVID, which the FDA has previously warned against.

"With an estimated 11 million listeners per episode, JRE is the world's largest podcast and has tremendous influence," the letter stated. "Though Spotify has a responsibility to mitigate the spread of misinformation on its platform, the company presently has no misinformation policy.

"Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Joe Rogan has repeatedly spread misleading and false claims on his podcast, provoking distrust in science and medicine," they added.

RELATED VIDEO: Doctor Says Fully Vaccinated People Are Going to Test Positive with Omicron: 'Our New Normal'

Last year, Rogan claimed that he is not an anti-vaxxer after making controversial remarks that young, healthy people do not need to get vaccinated. "I'm not an anti-vaxx person. In fact, I said I believe they're safe and I encourage many people to take them," he said in April 2020. "I just said I don't think that if you're a young healthy person you need it."

Young has taken a stand over the use of his music in the past, filing a lawsuit against Donald Trump in 2020, after the former president played his songs on the campaign trail for reelection.

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