Spotify Takes Down Andrew Tate's 'Pimping' Podcast After Petition

Andrew Tate’s podcast titled “pimping hoes degree” has been removed from Spotify following reported complaints from internal staff at the platform, as well as a petition which has garnered tens of thousands of signatures.

The move comes after tech news website 404 Media reported that staff at the digital music provider had shared their upset over him being on the platform.

Furthermore, a petition on Change.org which, at the time of writing, had 90,000 signatures, had also called for the influencer’s podcast to be removed.

The petition said the platform is hosting courses “that actively teach men how to manipulate, control, and profit from the exploitation of women”.

According to the Guardian, Tate’s content was deemed to be in breach of the company’s rules and therefore removed. However some of the influencer’s other content is still available on the platform.

‘Content like this fuels global harm’

Renee Chopping, who started the petition to remove Tate’s podcast, said on the petition page that as a trauma counsellor supporting survivors of sex trafficking and working closely with young people in schools, she’s seen firsthand “how content like this fuels global harm”.

“In classrooms, I’ve sat with young boys who admire influencers like Andrew Tate, believing that dominance, aggression, and entitlement define success and masculinity,” she said.

“I’ve also listened to young girls express the daily impact of these toxic ideals – how they feel pressured to meet unrealistic beauty standards, tolerate degradation and rape threats, and navigate a world where they are seen as objects rather than equals.”

There have been ongoing concerns about Tate and his content for a long time, with the University of York stating in recent research news that polls have shown that the impact of individuals, such as Tate, is “far reaching among young people”.

One survey suggested that 80% of 16 and 17 year-old British boys have consumed content created by the influencer.

They also found that female teachers have been targeted, too, adding: “There was a higher rate of disrespectful behaviour toward female teachers compared to male, and teachers reporting that when male students were challenged on their behaviour toward female students, some have referenced having watched online influencers, such as Andrew Tate, in their response.”

Recently, a teacher revealed to HuffPost UK that she’s noticed a rise in misogyny among boys as young as 11. Educator Rebecca Leigh said the troubling trend can take the form of “casually dismissing girls’ opinions, making ‘jokes’ that are more like thinly veiled insults, and even pushing back against lessons on gender equality”.

According to a report by Unison, the UK’s largest union, a major issue currently affecting schools is the rise in sexist behaviour and language, and sexual harassment.

The report suggests this has been fuelled by explicit content online, as well as on mobile phones.

Tate and his brother Tristan face charges of rape, human trafficking and other offences in Romania. They have denied the allegations against them.

The brothers were arrested in Romania three years ago, however prosecutors in the country have since agreed to let them leave. In February, the pair flew to the US where Andrew told reporters they were “largely misunderstood”.

HuffPost UK has reached out to Spotify for comment.