Apple, Spotify drop Alex Jones and his Infowars podcasts

screen-shot-2018-02-23-at-1-51-34-pm — The Alex Jones Channel is InfoWars' most subscribed on YouTube.
Screenshot Joan E. Solsman/CNET

Infowars podcasts produced by right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones were removed from Apple's iTunes and its Podcast app on Sunday.

In a statement to BuzzFeed News, Apple confirmed that the podcasts were removed for violating its guidelines on hate speech. Five of the six podcasts that Infowars creates will no longer be available for download or streaming, including the daily Alex Jones Show podcast.

Jones has been widely criticized for promoting conspiracy theories surrounding the 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York and the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

Spotify has also removed Jones' podcasts from its service entirely, the streaming service confirmed in a statement Monday.

The removals comes in the wake of YouTube placing a 90-day ban on Jones' Infowars channel (which he later circumvented) and Facebook placing a ban on Jones' personal page on July 27. In both cases, Jones was able to skirt those bans either by streaming his shows to his own separate channels or using an account associated with his network.

The companies have faced continued pressure to completely drop Infowars content from their services. In particular, Facebook has struggled with criticism over its refusal to outright ban Infowars in the past month. A Facebook spokesperson recently told CNET that at least one of Jones' channels is close to a permanent ban.

With Apple deleting Jones' and his Infowars' podcasts, pressure will mount on other tech giants to make similar moves.

CNET contacted Infowars for comment but didn't immediately receive a response.

First published, Aug. 5 at 10:11 p.m. PT.
Update, Aug. 6 at 2:50 a.m. PT: Adds Spotify's decision.

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