Spotify Clamps Down on Piracy Group Claiming Backup of Millions of Songs

Spotify has disabled a number of user accounts linked to a piracy activist hacker group that claimed it had copied tens of millions of music files and vast amounts of metadata from the streaming platform.

The group, Anna’s Archives, said in a blog post that it had “backed up” about 86 million Spotify tracks and metadata covering roughly 256 million songs.

The process, known as scraping, was described by the group as part of plans to establish an open “preservation archive” for global music.

According to the group, the 86 million audio files allegedly copied represent more than 99.6 per cent of Spotify’s total listens, while the metadata accounts for about 99.9 per cent of all tracks hosted on the platform.

Metadata typically includes information such as song titles, artists, albums and release details.
Spotify, however, said the activity posed no risk to its users.

While such data could theoretically be used to create an independent music archive, any attempt to distribute copyrighted content would likely trigger immediate legal action by rights holders and the music industry.

In a statement sent to AFP, the company confirmed it had taken swift action against the alleged perpetrators. “Spotify has identified and disabled the nefarious user accounts that engaged in unlawful scraping,” the streaming service said.

Spotify added that it has reinforced its security systems to prevent similar incidents going forward. “We’ve implemented new safeguards for these types of anti-copyright attacks and are actively monitoring for suspicious behaviour,” the statement noted.

Reaffirming its position on copyright protection, Spotify stressed its long-standing opposition to piracy. “Since day one, we have stood with the artist community against piracy, and we are actively working with our industry partners to protect creators and defend their rights,” the company said.

The development underscores the continuing battle between major digital platforms and piracy-focused groups, as debates over copyright, data access and digital preservation continue to intensify worldwide.