The Xbox Series X and the Playstation 5 were both released in November of 2020. Gamers, not surprisingly, could not wait to get their hands on them. Unfortunately for those players, though, wanting one of these gaming systems didn’t necessarily mean that you could get one.
There is still a lack of products for both consoles to meet demand. And resellers have stepped in to take advantage of the situation. Rather than traditional scalping, these resellers have been using bots to snap up the consoles before customers can get their hands on them.
The situation has gotten bad enough that the government might take the opportunity to step in. Paul Tonko, a congressman from the state of New York has created a new bill to stop the use of bots to purchase the consoles.
Tonko is calling the bill the Stopping Grinch Bots Act. He said in a statement:
“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.”
The New York lawmaker definitely has some support for his new bill. It has been co-sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY), Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT), and Senator Ben Ray Lujan (NM)
