Spotify has confirmed it is no longer running advertisements for the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), following the end of a Trump administration recruitment campaign in late 2025. The Swedish streaming giant stated that the ads were part of a broader US government initiative that ran across all major media platforms.
The campaign, which began in April 2025, aimed to recruit over 10,000 deportation officers by the end of the year, offering $50,000 signing bonuses. Ads appeared on platforms including Amazon, YouTube, Hulu, and Max, urging listeners to “fulfil your mission to protect America”. Spotify had previously defended the ads, saying they did not violate its advertising policies, and allowed users to manage preferences via thumbs-up or thumbs-down ratings.
The controversy escalated after an ICE agent fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis on Wednesday, and US border patrol agents shot two more people in Portland. The grassroots group Indivisible sent an open letter to Spotify’s new CEOs, Alex Norström and Gustav Söderström, on 2 January, petitioning them to drop the ads and update advertising policies to prohibit government propaganda and hate-based recruitment.
Spotify has faced backlash over CEO Daniel Ek’s €600 million investment in military AI company Helsing, prompting high-profile musicians such as Massive Attack, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Deerhoof, and Kadhja Bonet to withdraw their music. Numerous listeners have also quit the service in protest. Despite the end of this campaign, ICE has reportedly planned a $100 million year-long media barrage targeting conservative radio listeners, gun rights advocates, and military enthusiasts, with ads saying “Want to deport illegals with your absolute boys?”.
