'Grinch Bots' Are Stealing Christmas. Congress Wants To Stop It

WASHINGTON, DC — As online "grinch bots" swipe Christmas gift after Christmas gift amid ongoing supply chain issues, one group of congressional Democrats is taking matters into their own hands.

The group on Monday unveiled the "Stopping Grinch Bots Act," which targets online bots known for scooping up a major share of the season's popular toys, often leaving parents and children empty-handed ahead of the holidays.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut is among Democratic sponsors pushing for the new measure.

"This bill seeks to stop Cyber Grinch greed from ruining kids’ holidays,” Blumenthal said in a statement Monday. "Price gouging hot toys by Grinch bots should have zero tolerance."

Here's what you should know about grinch bots ahead of the holidays:

What are grinch bots?

Grinch bots are another name for the automated bots that somehow manage to evade website security measures to buy toys and other goods from online retailers, according to a report by The Hill. The problem is that bots purchase a large share of an available item at lightning speed, leaving parents empty-handed.

Sellers will then take the bot-purchased goods and resell them to consumers at dramatically higher prices, forcing parents to overpay or miss out completely.

"After a particularly trying year, no parent or American should have to fork over hundreds — or even thousands — of dollars to buy Christmas and holiday gifts for their children and loved ones," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.

The legislation would expand on an existing law.

The proposed legislation expands on a 2016 law that outlawed automated bots from bypassing security measures to buy up tickets for public events such as concerts and sporting events. The law also made it illegal for scalpers to resell tickets obtained through a bot, according to PC Magazine.

The Stopping Grinch Bots Act would apply the same principles to all online retail sites.

Who else supports the legislation?

Schumer, Sen. Ben Ray Luján and Rep. Paul Tonko are also sponsoring the legislation.

The legislation is supported by a number of consumer organizations, including Consumer Reports, Consumer Federation of America, and the National Consumer League.

Is this a new law?

Many of the same lawmakers introduced the same bill in 2018, but it didn't gain any traction, according to a CNet report. Since then, the problem has only grown as retailers continue selling the newest video game consoles and PC graphics cards online.

It's unclear whether the legislation has a greater chance of passing this time around.

If passed, who would enforce the law?

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission would be tasked with enforcement, according to PCMag.