How some users are making it difficult for Spotify, YouTube and other platforms to remove Kanye West's song glorifying Adolf Hitler

Streaming services, including Spotify , YouTube , SoundCloud and others, are having a hard time removing Kanye West ’s latest song, “Heil Hitler,” which glorifies Adolf Hitler. The track alongside another titled “WW3”, which was first uploaded on X (earlier Twitter) last week, has since received over 8.2 million views on the social media platform. After public criticism, Spotify, YouTube and SoundCloud removed the original uploads, but users have managed to keep the content available by posting cover versions and embedding the song within podcasts. West’s latest release (uploaded under his new name Ye) follows a series of antisemitic remarks that led to the termination of his Adidas Yeezy contract.


How Spotify, YouTube and others are being unable to remove these songs entirely



According to a report by NBC News, the Anti-Defamation League got involved and launched a petition urging Spotify to remove “WW3” and other tracks.

“Spotify has been mostly radio silent to outreach from ADL for the majority of 2025, so we felt it was important to activate our volunteer base,” said Daniel Kelley, the ADL’s director of strategy and operations.

While Spotify did not respond to requests for comment, Kelley noted that the song appears to have been taken down in the US, though alternate uploads remain active, the report noted.

YouTube also saw multiple reuploads of both tracks. A spokesperson from the Google-owned music streaming service said: “We removed the content and will continue to take down reuploads,” adding that Ye’s affiliated accounts are not eligible for monetisation. The report also identified 27 alternate uploads of “Heil Hitler” on SoundCloud.

Other platforms have faced similar challenges. On Reddit , versions of each song were shared in subreddits devoted to Ye and other rappers, prompting the site to remove uploads and related posts.

“Hate and antisemitism have absolutely no place on Reddit. We have strict rules against hateful content… In line with our sitewide rules, we are removing the song and any celebration of its message,” a Reddit spokesperson told NBC News.

Meanwhile, Meta and TikTok—both of which prohibit hate speech and the glorification of genocide—are likewise trying to remove instances of the songs as they emerge.

The track’s initial upload on X was circulated by a network of users and right-wing influencers, with some posts pairing it alongside archival Hitler footage. At the same time, a video of social media figure Andrew Tate playing the song in his car has earned more than 3 million views on X.