There you are, sitting in traffic in your car, listening to Taylor Swift on Spotify because it’s easier than subjecting yourself to a new, more challenging artist. An ad pops up in your stream. It’s serious stuff, as evidenced by the narrator’s somber tone: “Join the mission to protect America,” the man commands in his serious voice, “with rewards of up to $50,000 and generous benefits. Apply now… and accomplish your mission.”
It’s a recruitment ad for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, part of a Trump administration ad An investment of $30 billion To add more than 10,000 deportation officers to its ranks by the end of the year. You could have avoided the wrath if you had just paid for ad-free Spotify, but there’s no way to get your money back now. You’ll go to Apple Music for example. Maybe the tides?
The experience of being exposed to it Recruitment ads A local military force was created, assembled by a power-hungry president Severe violent reaction Which culminated this week in calls for Boycott Of the streaming services and platforms that feature ICE sites. They include Pandora, ESPN, YouTube, Hulu, and Fubo TV. Many subscribers to HBO Max Bemoan X That they were exposed to ICE recruitment videos while watching All Elite Wrestling: “It’s time to force ICE commercials against my will for 2 hours again #WWENXT,” @YKWrestling books.
Recruitment ads — Uncle Sam’s “I Want You” poster comes to mind — are an American staple, especially in times of war. But current recruiting efforts aim to send troops to American cities, based on exaggerated claims that American metro areas are under siege and at risk from dangerous illegal immigrants, left-wing protesters, and out-of-control crime rates. DataHowever, these claims are not supported. the American Immigration Council It found that from 1980 to 2022, while the immigrant share of the U.S. population more than doubled (from 6.2% to 13.9%), the overall crime rate fell by more than 60%.
However, there is a far more terrifying sight on the horizon if ICE’s recruitment efforts succeed: an army of mercenaries loyal only to Trump, armed to keep him on the throne. If this sounds more miserable than the Spotify ad mentioned above, consider that management has outspent $6.5 million over the past month on a series of 30-second commercials aimed at attracting police officers.
The ads aired on televisions in more than a dozen cities including Chicago, Seattle and Atlanta and opened with images of the skyline of each specific metro area. Then came the commanding narrative: “Attention, Miami law enforcement!” It’s followed by the same message used in ICE ads across the country: “You’re sworn to protect and serve, and to keep your family and your city safe. But in sanctuary cities, you’re being asked to stand down while dangerous criminals go free — join ICE and help us catch the worst of the worst. Drug dealers, gang members, and predators.”
But do ads work? It’s hard to say because transparency is not a hallmark of the MAGA White House. In any case, a DHS press release on September 16 claimed that it had received more than 150,000 applications in response to its campaign and had made 18,000 temporary job offers.
As for the strength of the consumer-led boycott, there is hope. Over 1.7 million subscriptions to Disney, Hulu, and ESPN It was reportedly cancelled Between September 17 and September 23 during Jimmy Kimmel’s temporary suspension by ABC (Disney is ABC’s parent company). The network pulled the show after the host’s comments regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk angered MAGA supporters and the Trump-appointed FCC chairman appeared to threaten the network. But after a week that saw a significant increase in cancellations — a 436% jump compared to a normal week — Kimmel’s show is back on the air.
As of today, Spotify appears unaffected by the pressure to pull intrusive ICE ads. “This ad is part of a broad campaign run by the US government across television, streaming and the internet,” a Spotify spokesperson said in a statement this week. “The content does not violate our site Advertising policies. However, users can mark any ad as a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” to help manage their ad preferences.
object. Frown emoji. The dystopia narrator used a counter-ad: “Join the mission to protect America: cancel Spotify.”