A civil court in São Paulo has issued another ruling targeting the sale of streaming manipulation tools, reinforcing Brazil’s stance that such services are illegal.
The 17th Civil Court ruled against TurbineDigital, a company found to be offering fake engagement services across platforms including YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, and Instagram.
The decision is part of Operation Authentica, a wider enforcement initiative led by Brazil’s Consumer Protection Prosecutor’s Office, with support from CyberGaeco and IFPI Latin America.
“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.”
Judge Renata Martins de Carvalho, of the São Paulo Court of Justice
According to the ruling, TurbineDigital’s activities violated Article 37 of Brazil’s Consumer Protection Act through misleading advertising.
The court cited evidence obtained through test purchases by APDIF do Brasil and CyberGaeco that demonstrated the use of fake accounts to inflate engagement metrics.
Judge Renata Martins de Carvalho, of the São Paulo Court of Justice, wrote: “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 ruling orders the permanent suspension and blocking of the domain turbinedigital.com.br and related social media profiles, and prohibits the defendants from marketing or providing streaming manipulation services through any channel.
Victoria Oakley, CEO of IFPI, welcomed the ruling, calling it “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, noted that the decision continues a trend of legal actions taken in the country over the past two years.
“Brazilian courts are sending a strong message against those who exploit illegal services dedicated to manipulating music streaming, followers, and likes,” he said. “Such activities constitute pure fraud and mislead consumers.”
The ruling follows earlier cases under Operation Authentica, including the Seguidores Marketing Digital Ltd decision, which marked the first landmark ruling in Brazil against streaming fraud.Music Business Worldwide