Deezer won’t stop pirate app users

The message warns pirate users that the French company is aware that they’re not using the official app. But instead of cracking down or banning the illegal users, the music streaming platform has taken a softer approach by encouraging them to switch to the official version.

“We see you, we know that you’re not using the official version of Deezer, and we’re not going to stop you,” the email says. “But in the spirit of honesty, you should know that you’re exposing yourself to invasive security risks that could harmfully breach your data.”

A few users posted the message on Reddit, with others confirming they had received the same communication.

The move from Deezer is unusual. The company knows the pirate users, their email addresses and at least one of their IP addresses, but has decided not to act against the violators of its app.

Deezer, among other music streaming services, offers a free tier for listeners who opt not to pay for the service. Some users prefer to obtain the Premium service via unofficial clients to get features such as permanent downloads and to avoid ads. The unofficial apps are mainly installed on Android platforms, and it’s not clear how many people use them.

Deezer previously took harsher action aimed at disrupting clients from accessing the services illegally. In 2017, the company targeted DeezLoader and subsequently clamped down on the popular app’s modified version DeezLoader Reborn as well as DeezLoader Remix.

Other companies have also acted against pirates. In 2018, Spotify sent out an email to accounts warning that pirate client access was forbidden. More recently, Spotify in May cracked down on hacking tools by sending a number of Digital Millennium Copyright Act takedown notices to Google targeted at domains that offer third-party apps that give users its Premium service without paying.

YouTube is also involved in an ongoing battle with stream-ripping websites, which allow user to download music for free.