The “Stopping Grinch Bots Act,” introduced in the Senate on Friday, would ban bots on all online retail platforms. Cyber Grinches use bot technology to bypass security measures and order large batches of popular toys to then resell them at inflated prices
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Serious toy shoppers and resellers are tapping into a growing array of advanced tools to gain an unfair advantage and buy up as many limited editions, high-demand items as humanly possible. Or, really, as inhumanly possible, as it turns out. The most sophisticated buyers are tapping into a hidden but fascinating ecosystem of technology tools and platforms to stack the deck in their favor. What’s more, these tools are quickly evolving and improving in a constant cat-and-mouse the game between the retailers and these aggressive scalpers. When the most sought-after items drop online in a flash sale, two-thirds of the purchases can be malicious bots.
Bots harm regular online shoppers by jacking up the prices. They also hurt the brands who dislike seeing their offerings go for such high prices on secondary markets and who want to ensure fairness and a good online experience for their customers.
To combat bots and protect online inventory, legislation can be effective, as well as bot mitigation services that proactively monitor and block sophisticated bots.