RIAA Singles Out Discord and Telegram for Pre-Release Piracy

Photo Credit: Mick Haupt

The RIAA has shone a light on Telegram and Discord as key facilitators of pre-release piracy in its latest submission to the US government.

In the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) yearly review of “Notorious Markets” facilitating copyright infringement, the RIAA submitted its latest assessment to aid in identifying this year’s biggest offenders. Last week, the RIAA highlighted Telegram and Discord as problematic distribution channels, playing a major role in pre-release music piracy.

“Messaging platforms Telegram and Discord have become the primary mechanisms through which pre-release music is distributed without authorization,” wrote the RIAA. “Through private and semi-private communities, organized, global groups engage in hacking, social engineering, and other methods to obtain pre-release music and, in many cases, sell this illegally obtained material for thousands of dollars.”

While Telegram was noted in an RIAA report a few years back, this is the first time that Discord has been mentioned among notorious markets. Typically, the report focuses on foreign threats, but the RIAA pointed out the American company as a significant player in the ever-evolving world of piracy.

Both messaging services are unusual in the Notorious Markets report, which typically hones in on classic piracy websites. The RIAA recognizes this in its submission and acknowledges that both services respond to takedown notices. However, the RIAA indicates that both should be doing more: “It is unclear what steps, if any, they take to limit or prevent the ongoing abuse of the platforms for illegal pre-release distribution.”

Also on the RIAA’s submission list are a wealth of usual suspects, including stream-rippers like Notube, Savefrom, Snaptube, Ssyoutube, Tubidy, and Y2mate. Each of these sites allows users to download music from platforms like YouTube, and the RIAA notes they are prime copyright infringement tools. The RIAA also mentions long-time offending torrent sites like The Pirate Bay, which has been around for over 20 years.

“Vast catalogues of music and the world’s most popular and newly released films can be downloaded via [The Pirate Bay],” the RIAA writes. “The site makes no pretense of legitimacy, fails to respond to any takedown notices, and has previously ridiculed those who have sent such notices.”

Lastly, the RIAA’s submissions include cyberlockers like Krakenfiles, which it notes is not only a major source of pre-release piracy, but for third-party AI voice cloning tools.

The RIAA’s latest submissions build on its previous years’ submissions, featuring many of the same targets. But Discord and Telegram both stand out as unique resources contributing to a significant amount of content piracy in the current landscape.