'Taylor Swift' bills aimed at beating back ticketing bots could receive vote in Michigan
When it comes to the online bots that scooped up Taylor Swift Eras Tour tickets — making for a cruel summer for some in 2023 — the Michigan House of Representatives isn't ready to shake it off.
The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony May 21 on House Bills 4262 and 4263, dubbed the "Taylor Swift" bills, aimed at beating back the bots. The legislation would ban the use of bots to skirt limits on ticket purchases or circumvent waiting periods and online queues. The legislation would empower the Attorney General's Office to investigate potential violations.
Bill sponsor state Rep. Mike McFall, D-Hazel Park, told the Michigan House Judiciary Committee during a May 21 hearing that many trying to attend a concert or sports event have confronted a sold-out show or game with only tickets available on the resale market at "extreme mark-ups." Some scalpers will use bots to purchase an excessive number of tickets to resell the tickets at a price much higher than the original one.
"This harms the entertainment industry and harms consumers by creating an unnecessary financial barrier," McFall said. State Rep. Mike Harris, R-Waterford — another bill sponsor — said that while federal law already outlaws ticketing bots, a state law would give Michigan's attorney general new authority to take action. Harris said a member of his staff and Taylor Swift fan prepared testimony for him using lyrics from the pop star's songs. But he said he couldn't bring himself to read it, even as he acknowledged having attended a Swift concert with his family.
While her music didn't feature prominently in the committee hearing, it has fueled a flurry of bills in state Legislatures across the U.S. to beat back the bots.
When ticket sales for Taylor Swift's concerts opened, bots scooped up tickets faster than her real life fans could, according to Ticketmaster. During the 2024 legislative session, at least 20 states and Puerto Rico saw legislation introduced on event ticket sales, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Under the Michigan bills, violators who circumvent or disable the online ticket platform technology to bulk buy tickets or jump in front of fans to do so would be subject to a fine of up to $5,000 for each ticket purchased.
Lawmakers in the Michigan House passed similar bills in the previous legislative session but the Michigan Senate didn't take them up.
Under the 2016 federal Better Online Ticket Sales or BOTS Act, scalpers cannot use technology to circumvent ticket purchase limits or use a false identity to buy tickets. But it wasn't until years later that the Federal Trade Commission brought its first case under the BOTS Act in 2021. Following his return to the White House, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for vigorous enforcement of the BOTS Act. Federal lawmakers have also proposed additional policies to tackle the current ticketing system.
Chamber of Progress, which describes itself as a center-left tech industry policy organization, published a report in 2024 saying the entertainment company Live Nation "has executed a quiet but sweeping campaign in state legislatures to maintain its monopoly position by restricting the resale market." The report calls out lobbying by Live Nation for anti-bot laws it says appears aimed at consumer protection but curtails resale competition.
"Bots are a big reason the ticket market feels unfair and confusing for fans. But if lawmakers crack down too broadly, they risk hurting legitimate resellers — and that could end up making consumers worse off," the report's author Aden Kizkias wrote in an email. The report doesn't specifically analyze the Michigan bills.
Live Nation did not respond to an emailed request for comment.
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Resale company StubHub is one of Chamber of Progress' corporate partners. The organization notes that its partners do not have a final say on its policy positions. StubHub has a neutral position on the Michigan bills, while Live Nation supports them.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster in 2024, alleging the entertainment company is a monopoly. Media representatives for the Attorney General's Office did not respond to a request for comment, but McFall said lawmakers have been working with the office on the legislation.
The bills may soon head to the House floor for a vote.
Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 'Taylor Swift' anti-bot bills in Michigan see action in state House
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