Lawmakers Introduce Bill To Stop Bots From Ruining Holiday Shopping

Democrats have proposed the 'Stopping Grinch Bots Act' to make it illegal to use bots to shop online and also outlaw reselling items purchased by bots. 'Lawmakers label them 'Grinch' bots because, during the holiday season, resellers use them to buy inventory of highly coveted toys that can be resold at highly inflated prices,' reports CNET. 'Often times, these bots are so quick that they can purchase entire stocks of items before people can even add them to their carts.' From the report: Sens. Tom Udall, Richard Blumenthal and Chuck Schumer along with Rep. Paul Tonko made the announcement on Black Friday. While the proposed legislation is focused around the holiday season and toys, the Grinch Bots act would apply to all retailers online. Toys aren't the only items that resellers online send swarms of bots to. Security researchers noted that bots designed to buy rare sneakers are a persistent issue, as developers will create AI to buy shoes from companies like Nike and Adidas as quickly as possible. The proposed bill leaves it open for security researchers to use bots on retailer websites to find vulnerabilities. 'Middle class folks save up -- a little here, a little there -- working to afford the hottest gifts of the season for their kids but ever-changing technology and its challenges are making that very difficult. It's time we help restore an even playing field by blocking the bots,' said Schumer, a Democrat from New York, in a statement.

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