Spotify stops running ICE recruitment ads after US government campaign ends

Spotify says it no longer runs ICE recruitment advertisements after a US government campaign that ran across major platforms ended in late 2025. The company previously said the ads did not violate its advertising policies.

Spotify says it is no longer running advertisements for the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). The company described the material as part of a US government recruitment campaign that ran across major media and streaming platforms and ended in late 2025. That campaign aimed to recruit more than 10,000 deportation officers and ran on services including Amazon, YouTube, Hulu and Max. The ads had prompted protests and criticism, and Spotify had previously said the advertisements did not violate its advertising policies. Known details: - Spotify issued a statement saying, "There are currently no ICE ads running on Spotify." - The campaign ran across television, streaming and online channels and concluded in late 2025. - The recruitment effort aimed for more than 10,000 hires and appeared on multiple major platforms including Amazon, YouTube, Hulu and Max. - Spotify previously said users could mark ads with thumbs-up or thumbs-down and that the ads did not breach its ad rules. - The ads and other company matters, including founder Daniel Ek's investment in the military AI firm Helsing, prompted some musicians and listeners to withdraw from or leave the service. - Reporting notes the campaign ended before recent reported shootings involving immigration enforcement agents in Minneapolis and Portland. Summary: The immediate effect is that Spotify no longer carries the ICE recruitment ads described in the reports, but the end of this campaign does not remove similar advertising from other platforms. The company remains under public scrutiny over its advertising choices and related controversies involving senior leadership. Undetermined at this time.