Summary

Strengthens online ticket-sale protections by requiring ticket sellers and platforms to maintain technical and administrative security safeguards, to report ticket‑buying “circumvention” incidents and cyberattacks to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and by giving the FTC new guidance, consumer complaint tools, enforcement powers, and civil penalty authority. The measure creates new definitions for “circumvention” and “cyberattack,” directs the FTC to publish guidance and a consumer complaint website, and promotes coordination with law enforcement.

Key Points

• Ticket sellers and platforms must implement technical and administrative safeguards against bots and circumvention methods.
• Sellers must report circumvention incidents and cyberattacks to the Federal Trade Commission.
• The FTC must publish guidance for industry and operate a consumer complaint website for circumvention complaints.
• The FTC gains authority to sue for violations and obtain civil penalties.
• New statutory definitions for "circumvention" and "cyberattack" clarify covered conduct.
• The bill requires coordination between the FTC and law enforcement on incidents and enforcement.
• Compliance will require monitoring, logging, incident response plans, and likely vendor/technology upgrades.
• Consumers may see reduced automated scalping and improved ability to report abuse, while sellers face added compliance costs.

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