Signed into law in 2016, the BOTS Act gives the government the authority to crack down on those who misuse bots — software applications that are programmed to run automated tasks online — to buy large amounts of tickets for profit.
These brokers often run ticket bots that automatically suck up huge swaths of tickets as soon as they go on sale.
Peter Kaplan, a spokesman for the FTC, said the agency received the letter but declined to comment further. The letter goes on to point to wild markups at third-party sites with some listings as high as $1,000 for a Bruce Springsteen concert and $40,000 to see Adele. The letter acknowledged the January case, which was the first use of the BOTS Act, but asked the FTC why it hasn’t done more to enforce against other possible cases of bot use.
Ticketmaster has long faced criticism for the fees it charges consumers, and there has been political pressure for antitrust officials to get involved. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., tweeted earlier this month that she thinks the company needs to be broken up.
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