Senate Takes Aim At ‘Bots’

The Senate is cracking down on computer software used by ticket brokers to snap up tickets to concerts and shows.


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– “Hamilton” Takes The Stage At The Tonys
The cast of “Hamilton” perform at the Tony Awards at the Beacon Theatre in New York. 

Senators passed legislation by voice vote Wednesday that would make using the software an “unfair and deceptive practice” under the Federal Trade Commission Act and allow the FTC to pursue those cases. The House passed similar legislation in September, but the bills are not identical so the Senate legislation now moves to the House.

The so-called “bots” rapidly purchase as many tickets as possible for resale at significant markups. They are one of the reasons why tickets to a

Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran sponsored the bill. He says it takes aim at artificially inflated prices.