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AUSTIN — Using high-tech tools to buy concert tickets in Texas may soon land you in trouble, trouble, trouble. After bots scooped up thousands of seats for Taylor Swift’s blockbuster Eras tour, a Lewisville lawmaker wants to outlaw their use.
Freshman Republican Rep. Kronda Thimesch on Friday trumpeted her idea on the eve of a three-night Swift concert series at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
“Existing federal law is under-utilized and hard to enforce,” Thimesch said in a written statement “It is time Texas has the tools necessary to protect our own consumers.”
Her bill has bipartisan support, with North Texas House members Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake; Frederick Frazier, R-McKinney; and Venton Jones, D-Dallas, signing on as joint authors. A companion bill has been filed in the Senate.
Swift’s The Era’s tour this weekend is her first tour since the COVID-19 pandemic. The show could feature a 44-song setlist that lasts three hours. It garnered attention last year after a huge meltdown on Ticketmaster forced the platform to cancel the general sale of tickets because it could not meet demand.
Ticketmaster blamed bots and hackers for the debacle. Consumers often use bots or other software to purchase tickets that then will be resold. Aside from making it illegal to use bots, Thimesch’s bill would give the Texas Attorney General’s office the ability to investigate a claim that someone violated the law.
“While bots provide some legitimate benefits in our everyday lives, they can also run automated tasks with malicious intent. Bypassing the customary purchasing process for tickets marketplaces shuts out legitimate fans from enjoying music, arts and sports in our communities,” Thimesch said in a written statement.
Following the Ticketmaster calamity, the Senate Judiciary committee qu
Berchold testified in the January hearing that the platform was hit with three times more “bot” traffic than it had ever experienced. He also said the bots targeted the verified fan servers.
The disruptions, which were amplified on Twitter, brought new scrutiny to Ticketmaster, with some lawmakers calling for the company to be busted up.
Jennifer Kinder, a Dallas-based attorney, is representing at least 340 Swifties, or Swift super fans, in a lawsuit against Ticketmaster, accusing the company of frad, price-fixing, anti-trust violations and misleading buyers.
Kinder previously said one plaintiff tried to checkout 41 times with tickets in her cart, was charged $14,000 but never got the tickets.
A hearing over the lawsuit was held Monday in Los Angeles and the plaintiffs are asking for $2,500 each in damages. They also said they want to break up Ticketmaster, the Los Angeles Times reported