LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The Michigan House passed two bills Tuesday that would crack down on bots purchasing large quantities of event tickets with the intent of reselling them at higher prices. A bot is a software that runs automated and repetitive tasks on the Internet.

Lawmakers call House Bills 4262 and 4263 the “Taylor Swift” bills because the problem of bots buying up tickets was widespread in 2022, leading up to her Eras tour. Bots purchased the tickets from Ticketmaster almost immediately and then sold them for higher prices. 

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Michigan Rep. Mike Harris (R-Waterford) and Rep. Mike McFall (D-Hazel Park) introduced this “Taylor Swift” legislation March 18.

“These days, buying tickets for popular shows or sporting events is like navigating a ‘Labyrinth’ because of the cheaters who ‘Mastermind’ ticket bot plots,” Rep. Harris said in a June 4 press release. “People just hope they’re ‘The Lucky One’ and can get a reasonably priced ticket before the bots buy them all up. By empowering state prosecutors to impose some ‘Karma’ on unethical bot operators, our bipartisan plan will bring more affordable ‘Happiness’ to fans.”

Michigan joins other Swifties.

Other states, such as Arizona, have passed similar legislation to stop bots from circumventing the online purchase limits.

House Bill 4263 would create the Event Online Ticket Sales Act to “regulate the online sale of tickets for entertainment events and to prohibit a person (an individual or any other legal entity) from circumventing or disabling a security measure, access control system, or other technological control or measure used.”

You belong with me: What the Taylor Swift bill promises fans.

This bill would: 

  • Enforce a ticket purchasing limit.
  • Enforce an electronic queue, waiting period, presale code, or other sales volume limitation system associated with an online ticket sale.
  • Validate that a ticket is not fraudulent. 

House Bill 4262 would allow Michigan’s attorney general to investigate claims of violations of the Event Online Ticket Sales Act. A person who violates this Act could be charged up to $5,000.

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The “Taylor Swift” bills now move to the Michigan Senate for consideration.