Bills to outlaw the use of computer bots to buy event tickets passed in the Michigan House of Representatives Tuesday.
Ticket bots gained extra attention a few years ago when scammers used them to buy large amounts of Taylor Swift tickets and resell them at high prices.
Republican Representative Mike Harris calls the practice “scalping at its finest.”
“We’re trying to do this to rein in the bad actors and still allow people to be able to get online, and purchase tickets for their favorite event, whether it’s comedy show or a concert, and be able to actually enjoy things.”
Using ticket bots is already illegal at the federal level. But supporters of the Michigan legislation creating a new state law would make it easier to enforce the ban.
The Michigan Senate is working on similar bills.
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