Legislation dubbed the “Taylor Swift” bills, which seeks to combat automated bots used during ticket sales, moved forward this week. When tickets go on sale, automated bots will be used to mass buy tickets that will later be sold at a significantly higher cost on resale sites. This was a massive issue when tickets for Taylor Swift’s Era’s Tour went on sale in 2022 and shed light on the problem.
Key Points:
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- House Bills 5661 – 5662 were introduced by Representative Graham Filler (R-St. Johns) and Representative Mike McFall (D-Hazel Park).
- The Michigan Attorney General’s Office would be empowered to pursue legal action against individuals or groups found guilty of circumventing online ticket purchasing limits through the use of automated bots.
- The legislation includes fines of up to $5,000 per ticket fraudulently obtained.
Next Steps:
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- The bills were reported by the House Regulatory Reform Committee and advanced to the House floor for consideration.
