Lawmakers Are Now Working on Banning Bots Ahead of Christmas

According to reports, a select group of Democratic lawmakers are now working on banning bots ahead of Christmas.

Looking to stop bots ruining the holiday shopping season this year, the “Stopping Grinch Bots Act” would effectively target the use of computer software or systems that bypass the security measures of websites to acquire products. Representative Paul Tonko, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, Senator Ben Ray Luján and Senator Richard Blumenthal introduced the latest bill proposal that aims to make the market fair for the average consumer to acquire products at retail. Essentially, the bill could have a major effect of the resale market. Although the proposal specifically identifies toys, if passed, bots used by resellers to secure sneakers and electronics would also be covered by the act.

“Allowing grinch bots to rig prices and squeeze consumers during the holiday season hurts American families, small business owners, product makers, and entrepreneurs. We will not allow this market manipulation to go unchecked,” Tonko said in a statement.

It is interesting to note, the Stopping Grinch Bots Act was initially introduced by Tonko to the US House of Representatives back in 2019, but ultimately failed to receive any votes from lawmakers. The latest is also quite similar to Tonko’s “Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act,” which banned bots from accessing online ticketing websites, was signed into law by former President Barack Obama in 2016.

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