Members of U.S. Congress introduce bill to ban bots used to purchase consoles

According to Video Games Chronicle, Representative Paul Tonko, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Senator Majority Leader Charles Schumer, and Senator Ben Ray Luján have introduced to Congress a bill called the Stopping Grinch Bots Act, which would automatically ban bots used by resellers to buy consoles such as the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X.

Tonko said in a statement about the recently filed bill that "Grinch bots" are pushing Americans to pay outrageous amounts of money for presents this Christmas season.

‘’At a time when families should be able to spend time with their loved ones, digital 'Grinch bots' are forcing Americans to scour online sites in the hopes of finding an affordable gift or paying exorbitant prices for a single toy.

These bots don't just squeeze consumers, they pose a problem for small businesses, local retailers, and other entrepreneurs trying to ensure they have the best items in stock for the customers.

Our Grinch Bots Act works to level the playing field and prevent scalpers from sucking hardworking parents dry this holiday season. I urge my colleagues to join me in passing this legislation immediately to stop these Grinch bots from stealing the holidays’’, Tonko said.

Schumer stated that the average Holiday shopper cannot compete with the speed of bots, something anybody who has recently attempted to purchase a new-generation console is surely aware of.

Unfortunately, given the time it sometimes takes to pass a bill in Congress, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a good chance that this bill will not be passed before the holiday shopping season is over.