French court rules streaming fraud is illegal in landmark ruling for the music industry
France has just cracked down on streaming fraud, marking a milestone in the global fight to protect artists, labels, and streaming platforms.
France takes a stand against streaming fraud
Last week, the Paris Judicial Court officially ruled that streaming fraud is illegal in France, and that hosting companies enabling it can be held accountable.
The court ordered one of France’s largest hosting providers, OVH, to stop hosting two sites known for offering services that artificially boosted streams on platforms like Spotify: JustAnotherPanel and BuyBestSuperfans.
“This is an important result for the industry’s ongoing work against streaming fraud in music. Yesterday’s decision confirms that enabling streaming fraud is unlawful in France and empowers the music industry to act against those offering these damaging services in the country.”
Victoria Oakley, CEO of IFPI
What exactly is streaming fraud?
Put simply, streaming fraud is when people use bots or fake accounts to artificially inflate stream counts on streaming platforms to boost tracks and quickly gain streaming royalties. As Music Ally notes, sites like JustAnotherPanel offer services that promise to increase Spotify plays, followers, saves, and monthly listeners for its clients. Meanwhile, BuyBestSuperfans already appears to be offline.
In doing so, fake streams distort the music charts, mislead fans, and divert royalty payouts away from genuine artists. Over time, that could even erode trust in streaming platforms and damage the ecosystem for everyone.
So, it’s no wonder that the decision has been welcomed by the industry.
Part of a bigger global push
The action isn’t happening in isolation either. It’s part of a much broader, global crackdown on streaming manipulation. The joint effort was initiated by SNEP and IFPI in 2024 (representing the French and global recording industries), and was supported by Deezer, SoundCloud, and Spotify.
In fact, similar actions have already taken place in Brazil, Canada, the US, Denmark and Germany. Earlier this year, Brazilian authorities also cracked down on JustAnotherPanel for the same thing.
“This court decision represents a major step forward in the fight against streaming fraud in France and beyond. I welcome the fact that SNEP took the initiative in this action, demonstrating the organisation’s ability to act decisively in the interest of its members and the entire music ecosystem.”
Alexandre Lasch, Managing Director of SNEP
Why it matters
For artists, labels, and streaming platforms everywhere, they’ll be hoping that this decision will send a strong message: streaming fraud won’t be tolerated. It also highlights the growing global importance between industry bodies and regulators to protect the industry in the current age.
If France’s decision inspires similar rulings everywhere, the ripple effects could be huge. With less streaming fraud, it could ensure real artists could benefit from their work.