Spotify has confirmed that it is no longer running recruitment advertisements for the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) after the American government’s nationwide hiring campaign concluded at the end of 2025, as The WP Times reports, citing The Guardian and Spotify’s official statement. The Swedish streaming company said the adverts were not removed because of protests or a policy change, but because the US Department of Homeland Security’s recruitment contract expired when the federal campaign came to an end.

“There are currently no ICE ads running on Spotify,” a Spotify spokesperson said. “The advertisements were part of a US government recruitment campaign that ran across all major media and platforms.”

ICE is a federal agency within the US Department of Homeland Security responsible for immigration enforcement, deportations and cross-border crime investigations. Under President Donald Trump’s second administration, the agency received expanded funding and was instructed to increase staffing levels as part of a tougher national immigration policy.

In 2025, the US government launched a large-scale recruitment drive aimed at hiring new ICE officers, analysts and support staff. The campaign ran across television, radio, social media and digital platforms, including Spotify’s free, ad-supported tier. Some adverts promoted sign-up bonuses of up to $50,000, presenting ICE jobs as part of a national security mission. Spotify said the campaign was booked through standard government media-buying channels and that the company treated it in the same way as other public-sector recruitment advertising.

Backlash from artists and users

The appearance of ICE recruitment ads on Spotify triggered strong opposition from listeners, musicians and civil-rights groups, who argued that the agency’s role in deportations, detention centres and immigration raids made the advertising inappropriate on a music platform.

Several artists temporarily removed their work from Spotify in protest, while activist groups urged users to cancel their subscriptions until the ads were withdrawn. Campaigners accused Spotify of allowing government propaganda to be placed between songs. Spotify responded that the adverts did not breach its advertising rules, as they came from an official government source and complied with the platform’s content policies.

Why the ads have now disappeared

Spotify said the ICE adverts stopped because the US government’s recruitment campaign reached the end of its contracted media run in late 2025, rather than as a result of protests or any change in the company’s advertising policy. The company has not indicated that it would block similar government campaigns in the future, provided they are lawfully purchased and comply with its advertising rules.

The episode highlights how large digital platforms have become part of the public communications system used by governments, including for sensitive areas such as immigration enforcement and policing. ICE recruitment advertising is no longer appearing on Spotify, but the question of how far technology companies should go in carrying government messaging remains open.

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