Thanks to the ongoing chip shortage and high demand of the latest generations of gaming tech and platforms, it’s as hard as ever to get hands on the latest graphics card, the PS5, or an Xbox Series X. Part of this is the number of scalpers and bots who buy up stock online to resell for double the price, if not more. Indeed, scalping has been a major problem for those looking to buy a new graphics card, PS5, or Xbox Series X for the holiday.
Now, Democrats have introduced new legislation designed to cut down, if not fully eliminate, the use of bots for resellers and scalpers. US Representative Paul Tonko of New York and senators Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Chuck Schumer of New York, and Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico have all announced their pushing for the Stopping Grinch Bots Act.
Tonko, Blumenthal, and Schumer first introduced this legislation in November 2019, as scalping has been around for quite a while, but it’s arguably worse this year than ever. It aims to “crack down on Cyber Grinches using ‘bot technology,’” says all the lawmakers in a statement, with Schumer adding, “ The average holiday shopper is unable to compete with the light speed of the all-too-common Grinch bot and are then held at ransom by scalpers and third-party resellers when trying to buy holiday presents….no parent or American should have to fork over hundreds—or even thousands—of dollars to buy Christmas and holiday gifts for their children and loved ones.”
The Stopping Grinch Bots Act would expand on a law passed in 2016 that outlawed bots from circumventing control measures to put tickets like music concerts and sporting events. Plus, it made it illegal for scalpers to resell tickets such as these, and this legislation would essentially take all the principles and apply them to all online retail sites. A law is only as good as it can be enforced, notably, and so it’s worth mentioning that the US Federal Trade Commission would oversee the combat of this scalping practice.
It remains to be seen what comes of this new legislative push, as the bill has previously stalled in congressional committees. With the number of scalping incidents related to these bots that took place this year, not just among consoles and hardware but simpler items like amiibo, Pokemon Cards, and even Pokemon Oreos being scalped, perhaps other lawmakers will see, recognize, and acknowledge the ongoing problem and take actions to fix it.
Source: PCMag