Ad Feedback - Political Ads

[Uncognitozzz]

Remove Sleep Joe Biden Ads or i will stop using.

[Rachelbarney]

I’ve been a loyal Pandora user for over 15 years, but I’m writing to let you know that I’m canceling my subscription due to repeated, deeply offensive ad targeting on your platform.

I am a U.S. citizen and native English speaker. I enjoy reggaetón and Spanish-language music—that’s it. Despite that, I’ve recently been subjected to an overwhelming number of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ads implying that I am an undocumented immigrant and instructing me to “go home.” These ads now appear in nearly every other ad slot I hear on your platform.

This is not a random glitch. It is the result of ad targeting that equates music preference with immigration status. Your platform appears to be allowing (or enabling) ads that racially and culturally profile users based on the language of the music they enjoy. That is not just lazy—it is discriminatory.

This kind of content makes your platform feel hostile to anyone who engages with Spanish-language culture, and it sends a chilling message to Latinx communities and anyone who shares their tastes. Whether this targeting is directly chosen by DHS or is a byproduct of your algorithms, the effect is the same: alienating and mischaracterizing your own customers.

After more than a decade with Pandora, I’m choosing to walk away because I will not support a platform that amplifies this kind of profiling. I hope you take this feedback seriously and reconsider the ad policies and targeting systems that allowed this to happen.

Sincerely,

Rachel

[Dgarza0409]

How do I notify pandora that I no longer would like to here the racist political commercials that are played constantly?

[LS123]

I have to agree with your post. These commercials are racist and very specifically to the Latino race. Criminals come in all sizes and colors. Noem is promoting hate through Pandora specifically acusing one race. Pandora is my favorite music app but now I will look for alternatives.

[Jackopdenhoff]

Sad to see so many businesses kissing the ring.

[Gee70s]

I do not want to hear that disgustingly horrible advertisement by DHS. It is crude and absolutely horrifying what the woman in the advertisement is saying. I cannot believe this is okay to push onto people in the USA. I have reported this same advertisement to the FCC because of its cruelty. Every time it comes on, I have to turn off Pandora and switch to another service. It is not fair to Pandora that has great music. 

[barfranco23]

NO ONE wants to hear Kristi Noem tell the Pandora listeners to self deport. What in the hell is the reason for this while we are listening music and try to hear anything other than political propaganda ?!

Make it stop!!!!

[Dogofmyl1fe]

Why am I getting Kristi Noem fear mongering about immigrants in my ads all of a sudden? This is the first political ad I have ever encountered on Pandora, and it's gross. 

If pandora is going to enable fear-mongering and misinformation, I may have to get rid of my account.

[Kguerra]

I am furious about the racist Kristy noem ad I heard today. Makes me want to get rid of Pandora. Was i threatened to be deported today because I listen to Spanish music? Is there a way to ensure I never have to hear that trash again cause it was pretty dangerous how frantically I was trying to **ahem** Pandora down while driving today. That trash is not okay. I also love my dog, so I would love to never hear a word from that woman especially while driving. 

[desertsunsets06]

I tried to contact customer service regarding the hateful DHS ad that threatens people with deportation but only got an AI bot that kept telling me to contact CS and when you click on it starts a new chat with the AI bot. Super unhelpful. And after reading the above comments about this ad dating back to March I can see that you have no intention of removing this ad. So even though I HATE spotify and have been loyal to Pandora since its inception, I will be deleting my account. 

[Jmoreno10jm]

• Its really disappointing that pandora lets that hateful and hypocritical ad from donald. My family listens to Pandora also and I have to rush to my phone to pause that hateful ad so my kids dont hear it. I've been a long term Pandora user and it makes me really consider uninstalling it because of those disgusting ads. Its noem 

[vboskovic]

Cancelling our Pandora after those appalling anti-immigration ads spreading hate and xenophobia. It is absolutely disgraceful.

[tamarah]

It would be nice to opt out of specific type of ads, like political. If I hear another one bragging about how cornball votes 99 percent with trump im going to puke. 

[LA14]

The Kristi Noem ads about immigrants on Pandora come across as divisive, fear-driven, and exhausting. Instead of offering constructive solutions or focusing on issues that unite people, the ads rely heavily on negative stereotypes and rhetoric that pit communities against one another. For many listeners, the constant repetition of these messages while trying to enjoy music or podcasts feels intrusive and frustrating, almost like an attempt to normalize hostility rather than encourage understanding. The tone lacks compassion and makes the ads feel more like political scare tactics than genuine public service. Pandora should not allow their ads to turn political or encourage racism or hatred which is what this ad does.

[Nomorepando]

Defamatory immigration ads

Looking for a how-to to get rid of Pandora ads include DHS ads painting/defaming undocumented immigrant community as violent offenders when the data doesn’t match. This is unacceptable. 

Will delete and boycott Pandora on all my devices soon. Moving to Apple Music. Anybody got a how-to for other platforms with better ethics and radio? 

[Nessa_SD]

I cannot figure out a way to opt out of that stupid DHS Kristi Noem ad. I’ve heard it for the last time. Deleting this app. As a Latina, I refuse to support this. 

[bullTA]

i have been using pandora for my music for a long time...i started back during the days of the music genome experiment!! i love the platform,even with its flaws,and would like to remain a user.

i understand why you have ads, and i am fine with hearing them,even the ones that dont apply to me,or are in languages i do not speak...however,lately,there have been new adverts on here that i cannot continue to put up with..

i am referring, of course,, to your ICE ads....a mean, angry sounding dude telling me how my city is being taken over by drug dealers, which is a TOTAL AND COMPLETE LIE!!! you are knowingly playing damngerous lies in hopes of getting more people to join a terrorist group!!

i cannot continue to use your platform if you continue to support modern american terrorism!!

i hope you will do the right thing...if not,me, and many others, will leave, and then we wont hear your ads, and you will lose advertisers.

thank you for your time, love the platform, do not love your allowing such filth to play through my speakers.

[jLeeC]

Is anyone else getting ads with misinformation and hate speech in them from ICE?  

Hey there. I’m horrified and worried to be contacting you about hate speech I just heard in an ad on Pandora? I’m not really sure what else to say. This is unacceptable and I’m very sad to be reporting this. 

[Canzone60]

Please stop posting ads for jobs with ICE because they’re making it sound like it’s a good organization but unfortunately what they’re doing now is not legal. They’re making people disappear with no explanation and without due process. On top of all that they’re arresting legal citizens. ICE USED TO BE LEGIT AND UPSTANDING BUT NOT NOW. I will delete my Pandora app and find music elsewhere because every time I hear that ad it pisses me off. I’m a white American woman who can’t stand what’s going on. The whole point to Pandora for me is to find relaxing music. I’m sure ICE/government is paying you a lot for this ad so find another way of making money, don’t do what Disney did because they’re losing so much money.

[Chruinneth]

Listening to some of my favorite songs this afternoon and then I heard a disturbing add for ICE. The script is offensive and has no place in our peaceful music community. 

[RxMatt]

As with the majority of responses, I will unfortunately stop using your product because the advertisements for ICE.  Not sure if this post is monitored because it is labeled as "Solved," however your solution is not a solution at all.  From the first sentence "Perhaps the best place to start is to tell you that, like virtually all media outlets, the advertising content on Pandora does not represent an endorsement of any kind on our part."  By giving the organization a platform to distribute their message is, in fact, an endorsement.  In the second paragraph, you state that you "feel strongly that our advertising platform should not be in the business of censoring," but in the same paragraph give seven examples of censoring that you do.  Of course you then offer the paid subscriptions if you no longer want to hear who Pandora really gets paid by.  For me, I'd rather just not be apart of it.