Brazilian Court Shuts Down Site That Enabled Streaming Fraud

A court in São Paulo has issued a decision against Brazil’s Boom de Seguidores, finding it liable for facilitating streaming fraud. The platform sells “plays” on Spotify, SoundCloud, and YouTube Music as well as likes, follows and comments on social media platforms.

The ruling:

• The court ordered the permanent and dynamic blocking of the domain www.boomdeseguidores.com.br, and any other related domains.

• It must refrain from offering or marketing services involving coordinated and inauthentic behavior by any means.

• It was also ordered to pay undisclosed penalty fees.

Why it matters:

• The ruling is another step in Operation Authêntica’s fight against streaming fraud.

• The initiative was launched in 2023 and seeks to combat the monetizing of fraudulent engagement services, such as those that artificially inflate plays on music streaming platforms.

• It previously won positive rulings against Seguidores and Turbine Digital.

• It’s led by CyberGaeco and the Consumer Protection Prosecutor's Office of the State of São Paulo and supported by IFPI and APDIF do Brasil.

What they said:

• Melissa Morgia, Global Chief Content Protection Officer at IFPI: "Under Operation Authêntica, the Courts have consistently confirmed that services that enable streaming fraud mislead consumers and are unlawful. This illicit business model commercializes fraud and in the music context, ultimately diverts royalties from legitimate creators. IFPI would like to thank the authorities for their ongoing efforts and will continue to support actions that create serious consequences for those involved.”