AceShowbiz - Rapper Eric Dwayne Collins, better known as RBX, has filed a class action lawsuit targeting Spotify for allegedly allowing bots to inflate streaming numbers for Drake, AllHipHop reports. The suit claims that automated software artificially boosted streams of Drake’s music on the platform, impacting RBX and other artists financially.

Musicconnection also detailed that the complaint highlights billions of streams attributed to bots, including instances where some Drake tracks garnered over 100 million plays from locations lacking residential addresses. The lawsuit points out that virtual private networks (VPNs) were used to mask the origins of these streams, with certain accounts streaming Drake’s songs for up to 23 hours a day. Musically adds that fewer than 2% of listeners were responsible for 15% of these streams, suggesting a concentrated source of fraudulent activity. RBX’s suit targets only Spotify, not Drake or his associated labels, as there is no evidence linking the artist to the alleged misconduct.

Spotify has responded by emphasizing its investments in sophisticated technology designed to identify and eliminate fake streams, including withholding royalties and imposing penalties when fraud is detected, Musically reports. The platform also removed 75 million spam or fake tracks last year and announced new steps to prevent mass uploads intended to manipulate streams. Spotify stressed that it does not profit from artificial streams and plans to contest the lawsuit in court. RBX argues that Spotify’s failure to curb these bot-generated plays results in significant financial harm to legitimate artists and rights holders by diluting their revenue shares.

Drake is known for the breakthrough 2009 single "Best I Ever Had" and has built a multifaceted career as a rapper and actor, with appearances in projects such as Degrassi: The Next Generation, Conviction, and Charlie Bartlett. Despite his extensive streaming success, including nearly 81 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Drake himself is not implicated in the lawsuit.

This legal action underscores ongoing concerns about streaming integrity in the music industry, highlighting how fraudulent plays can skew artist revenues and disrupt fair compensation. As Spotify prepares to fight the claims, the case may prompt heightened scrutiny of streaming platforms’ efforts to safeguard against artificial inflation of play counts.

This article is based on reporting originally published by AllHipHop.