Brazilian Court Orders Shutdown of Streaming Manipulation Service in Landmark Fraud Ruling
A court in São Paulo, Brazil, has issued a ruling permanently suspending and blocking the domain turbinedigital.com.br and related social media profiles for engaging in streaming manipulation services. The decision is part of Operation Authentica,a wider enforcement initiative spearheaded by Brazil’s Consumer Protection Prosecutor’s Office,with support from cybergaeco and IFPI Latin America.
The ruling found that turbinedigital’s activities violated Article 37 of Brazil’s Consumer Protection Act through misleading advertising.evidence presented through test purchases conducted by APDIF do Brasil and CyberGaeco demonstrated the use of fake accounts to artificially inflate engagement metrics on platforms like Instagram.
judge Renata Martins de Carvalho of the São Paulo Court of Justice, explained the legal basis for the decision: “The practice of ‘fake streaming’ consists of selling services to boost audiences for music and videos on streaming platforms and thus attract buyers or consumers of this service (e.g., likes, followers, shares, etc.) and, under consumer law, constitutes misleading advertising, as it misleads the user or consumer of the social network into a false perception of reality or its actual reach.”
The court order prohibits the defendants from marketing or providing streaming manipulation services through any channel.
Victoria Oakley, CEO of IFPI, hailed the ruling as “another strong step forward in the global fight against streaming fraud.” She added, “Courts in Brazil are sending a clear message that committing fraud through fake streams, likes or followers is illegal and harms the entire music ecosystem.”
Paulo Rosa, President of Pro-Música Brasil, highlighted the growing trend of legal action against streaming fraud in Brazil, stating, “Brazilian courts are sending a strong message against those who exploit illegal services dedicated to manipulating music streaming, followers, and likes. Such activities constitute pure fraud and mislead consumers.”
This ruling follows a previous landmark case under Operation Authentica involving Seguidores Marketing Digital Ltd, marking the first important legal victory against streaming fraud in Brazil.
