Spotify Fires Back After Lawsuit Claims They Allowed Fake Bots to Benefit Drake and Other Artists

Spotify is defending itself against a class action lawsuit that accuses the platform of turning a blind eye to fraudulent streaming, which has allegedly benefited superstars such as Drake.

Rapper RBX filed the case on behalf of himself and others, claiming that billions of fake streams are generated every month, which harms legitimate artists, songwriters, and producers.

The lawsuit references Drizzy, alleging his music may have seen a boost from fake streams, though he is not a defendant and has not commented publicly. No other artists are named in the suit. Plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial to decide compensatory and punitive damages, arguing that rights holders have lost “hundreds of millions of dollars” due to the alleged fraud.

In response, Spotify issued a statement, denying any benefit from artificial streams.

“We cannot comment on pending litigation. However, Spotify in no way benefits from the industry-wide challenge of artificial streaming. We heavily invest in always-improving, best-in-class systems to combat it and safeguard artist payouts with strong protections like removing fake streams, withholding royalties, and charging penalties,” the company said.

Spotify also highlighted the effectiveness of its systems.

“Our systems are working: In a case from last year, one bad actor was indicted for stealing $10,000,000 from streaming services, only $60,000 of which came from Spotify, proving how effective we are at limiting the impact of artificial streaming on our platform,” the statement added.

The company insists that it is committed to protecting artists and minimizing fraudulent activity while addressing what it calls an industry-wide challenge.