New ‘Taylor Swift bills’ aim to discourage ticket-buyer bots

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — New bills have been introduced to combat the use of bots to buy tickets to shows or concerts in Michigan.

Some call them “Taylor Swift bills,” a reference to the 2022 controversy when tickets to her upcoming tour were purchased almost immediately and sold for high prices on resale sites. Ticketmaster blamed bots and unprecedented demand for the issue.

It may have happened to you or someone you know: You try to purchase tickets to a show and they’re gone in an instant. But sometimes competition between fans isn’t the only reason tickets can’t be found.

16 years ago: Taylor Swift plays at Western Michigan University

“What happened is a bad-acting illegal bot or robot company got on and snapped up all those tickets using software and then sold them on a secondary market,” said State Representative Graham Filler, R-Clinton County.

Filler is one of the Michigan lawmakers targeting automated ticket bots.

“It’s unfair, it’s unhelpful and the person who pays the price is the citizen of Michigan,” Filler said.

The federal BOTS Act makes it illegal to use bots or other means to get around online ticket purchasing limits, but Filler said it’s been largely ineffective.

“For some reason, they’ve been unable to prosecute or knock down these bot companies, so states are starting to take action,” Filler said.

Alongside State Representative Mike McFall, D-Hazel Park, Filler has introduced bipartisan legislation that would give the Michigan Attorney General’s Office the authority to file a civil lawsuit against people or groups that use bots to buy up tickets.

Fines could be up to $5,000 for each ticket illegally bought.

“What we think is that fine would be so steep, in the hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars, that these bot companies would not want to take the chance and come to Michigan,” Filler said.

Similar legislation has already been passed in states like Arizona. The hope is that every day fans can enjoy their favorite artist in Michigan by keeping bots out.

“I don’t want them attacking websites in Michigan, knocking down a concert website, and then that hurting our tourism and hurting our tax revenue, and hurting the ability of citizens ability to go to concerts,” Filler said.

The bills have been referred to the Committee on Regulatory Reform.

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