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HR6822119th CongressWALLET

Stopping Grinch Bots Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Representative Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20]

Introduced

Summary

Bans bots that bypass online purchase limits and bars selling products obtained through that circumvention. The Federal Trade Commission enforces the rule and state attorneys general can sue to stop violations and seek damages.

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  • Consumers: Helps regular shoppers by outlawing software or tricks that beat clearly posted purchase limits, aiming to reduce bulk buying that drains inventory.
  • Sellers and resellers: Makes it illegal to sell items across state lines if those items were acquired by circumventing site controls and the seller knew or controlled the misconduct.
  • Security researchers and defenders: Includes a narrow exception that lets researchers build or use tools to investigate, defend against, or study flaws in these controls when done to improve computer security or develop security products.
  • Enforcement: Treats violations as unfair or deceptive acts under the FTC Act and preserves the FTC's usual powers. State consumer protection officers may also bring civil actions, with notice rules and limits while the FTC is pursuing a case.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Ban bots that bypass purchase limits

This bill would ban using software or other tools to bypass website controls that enforce posted purchase limits or manage inventory. It would ban selling items across state lines when the seller helped or controlled the bypass, or knew (or should have known) the items were obtained by bypassing those controls. The Federal Trade Commission would enforce the rule as an unfair or deceptive practice. State attorneys general could sue for injunctions, damages, and restitution but must notify the FTC at least 10 days before filing (or immediately if notice was not feasible). There would be a narrow exception for software used to investigate or defend alleged violations and for legitimate computer-security research.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20]

NY • D

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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