No court has found that billions of Drake’s Spotify streams were fake. A proposed class action filed by rapper Eric Dwayne Collins, known as RBX, used Drake’s listening data to support allegations that Spotify failed to stop artificial streaming. Drake was not sued or accused of wrongdoing in the case. The latest reported development is that a judge dismissed both claims on June 23, 2026, while allowing Collins to amend his complaint.
What is the Spotify lawsuit about?
Collins filed the proposed class action against Spotify entities in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on November 2, 2025. The complaint alleges negligence and a violation of California’s Unfair Competition Law. It proposed a nationwide class and a California subclass of rights holders who say artificial streams harmed their share of streaming revenue.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Google Play gift code | $15.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Google Play gift code | $50.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
$300 Apple Gift Card—Email Delivery | $300.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Visa Virtual eGift Card | $28.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Google Play Physical Gift Card | $50.00 | Buy on Amazon |
Drake appears in the complaint as an example supporting Collins’s broader allegations about Spotify’s handling of artificial streams. He is not a defendant. The reporting on the case says he was not accused of arranging or knowingly benefiting from bots.
What did the complaint allege about Drake’s streams?
The 2025 complaint alleged that roughly 37 billion Spotify streams of Drake’s music between January 2022 and September 2025 included a substantial percentage of inauthentic plays, allegedly generated by a network of bot accounts. The figures below are examples the plaintiff cited based on alleged data analysis and information and belief. They have not been independently validated in the cited reporting or established as facts by a court.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches#1 Best Overall
- No returns and no refunds on gift cards. Good for use on the US Google Play Store only. Terms apply - see below.
- Google Play gift codes can be used on the Google Play Store, the official app store for Android, to purchase apps, games, and more.
- New finds, old favorites, one card. Choose a unique gift card design featuring your favorite games or apps. This card can also be used for anything else on Google Play. There’s something for everyone, so find what’s yours. Go Play.
- To redeem, enter code in the Play Store app or play.google.com.
- Easy to use: With a Google Play gift code, you never have to worry about expiration dates or fees.
- “No Face” and location data: The complaint alleged that at least 250,000 plays over four days in 2024 originated in Turkey but were mapped to the United Kingdom through VPN use.
- Areas without residential addresses: It alleged that more than 100 million streams came from areas with no residential addresses.
- Implausible travel: It alleged nearly 10% of Drake’s streams came from accounts whose location data suggested at least 15,000 kilometers of travel in a month, including implausible location changes between consecutive plays.
- Unusual listening patterns: The complaint cited accounts allegedly playing Drake music for as much as 23 hours a day and long-term stream patterns it said differed from the usual decline after a release.
These claims describe what Collins alleged, not a verified count of fake plays. The cited reporting does not establish an independently validated dataset confirming the Drake-specific analysis.
How does the complaint say artificial streams cause financial harm?
Collins’s theory is that streaming revenue is distributed among rights holders according to their share of total streams. If artificial plays inflate one catalog’s share, the complaint argues, they can reduce the proportional share available to other rights holders. That is the plaintiff’s account of the royalty mechanism and alleged harm; it is not a finding that Spotify is liable or that the alleged streams changed any particular payout.
Rank #2
- No returns and no refunds on gift cards. Good for use on the US Google Play Store only. Terms apply - see below.
- Google Play gift codes can be used on the Google Play Store, the official app store for Android, to purchase apps, games, and more.
- New finds, old favorites, one card. Choose a unique gift card design featuring your favorite games or apps. This card can also be used for anything else on Google Play. There’s something for everyone, so find what’s yours. Go Play.
- Easy to use: With a Google Play gift code, you never have to worry about expiration dates or fees.
- Endless games to explore: Find and play old and new favorites – from mind-bending puzzles to epic quests and more.
The complaint estimated that the alleged diversion from legitimate rights holders could reach hundreds of millions of dollars. That figure is the plaintiff’s estimate, not a court-calculated loss, an award, or an independently verified total.
What has Spotify said?
Spotify said it could not comment on pending litigation and denied benefiting from artificial streaming. In a statement reported by The FADER in November 2025, a spokesperson said the company invests in systems to combat fake streams and protect artist payouts by removing fake streams, withholding royalties, and charging penalties.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Rank #3
- For all things Apple - products, accessories, apps, games, music, movies, TV shows, iCloud+, and more.
- Perfect for App Store purchases and subscriptions—get apps, games, music, movies, TV shows, and more.
- The perfect gift to say happy birthday, thank you, congratulations, and more.
- Available in $15 - 500, Card delivered via email or SMS
- Use it for purchases at any Apple Store location, on the Apple Store app, apple.com, the App Store, iTunes, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple News+, Apple Books, Apple Arcade, iCloud+, Fitness+, Apple One, and other Apple properties in US only
Spotify also cited a separate case involving an alleged $10 million fraud across streaming services, saying that $60,000 of it came from Spotify. Those figures and descriptions were part of Spotify’s response; they do not resolve the allegations in Collins’s case or independently establish how effective Spotify’s controls were.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened to the case?
Music Business Worldwide reported on June 23, 2026, that the judge dismissed both Collins’s negligence and Unfair Competition Law claims. According to that report, the judge found that Collins had not adequately alleged a legal duty requiring Spotify to protect him from third-party bots, and had not plausibly alleged that his harm outweighed Spotify’s justifications for its policies. The judge reportedly granted leave to amend, giving Collins an opportunity to revise the complaint.
Rank #4
- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
This is the latest reported status available here. Later filings or rulings have not been verified, so the reported dismissal should not be read as a final account of any subsequent case developments.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- No returns and no refunds on gift cards. Good for use on the US Google Play Store only. Terms apply - see below.
- Google Play gift cards can be used on the Google Play Store, the official app store for Android, to purchase apps, games, and more.
- To redeem, peel or gently scratch label and enter code in the Play Store app or play.google.com.
- Easy to use: With a Google Play gift card, you never have to worry about expiration dates or fees.
- Endless games to explore: Find and play old and new favorites – from mind-bending puzzles to epic quests and more.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
