Spotify abused to promote pirated software and game cheats

Spotify abused to promote pirated software and game cheats

November 19, 2024 at 05:37AM

Spotify playlists and podcasts are misused to promote pirated software, game cheats, spam links, and “warez” sites. By embedding targeted keywords in playlist names and podcast descriptions, these individuals enhance SEO, increasing visibility for their illicit online activities in Google search results.

### Meeting Takeaways:

1. **Issue Identified**: Abuse of Spotify playlists and podcasts to promote pirated software, game cheat codes, spam links, and “warez” sites.

2. **Methods Used**:
– Threat actors are embedding targeted keywords and links within playlist names and podcast descriptions.
– This manipulation may enhance the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for their questionable online properties.

3. **Potential Risks**: Increased visibility of dubious content in search engine results could lead to more users encountering and potentially engaging with illegal or harmful resources.

4. **Action Items**:
– Consider strategies to detect and address such abuses within Spotify and related platforms.
– Explore potential collaborations with Spotify to improve monitoring of playlists and podcasts for suspicious activity.

Full Article