In January this year, the UK Government unveiled new legislation, under which, it is a criminal offense to use bots to bulk buy tickets with the intention of resale. Under the Digital Economy Act, using automated technology to bypass the maximum number of purchasable tickets with the intention to exploit 'real' fans now has the punishment of unlimited fine charges.
But is this a serious enough deterrent to prevent the issue of inflated resale prices?
Ticketmaster believes they have found the solution to the problem of ticket touts. Gone are the days of having to prove that you are human by battling through waves of anti-bot questions. Now, be expected to prove that you are a 'true' fan prior to purchasing gig tickets.
VerifiedFan is the new love child of Ticketmaster. Being marketed as a way for "real fans to get exclusive ticket access to see their favourite shows", the new system has made waves in the US and is now heading to the UK.
The idea behind VerifiedFan is that by handing over personal information - name, phone number, email address etc, a third-party will investigate your social media to establish whether you are a legitimate fan. So it seems that unless you plaster your love of an artist or band across your social media platforms you aren't as likely to be selected as a 'real' fan during this Black-Mirror-esque experience.
If the mission of Ticketmaster is to stop ticket touts making gigs inaccessible and unaffordable, then that's a welcome idea. However, how is putting up an invisible barrier to ticket buyers any help to the cause?
Imagine -- Doris, 78, West Yorkshire.
Doris doesn't have a social media page on any platform, in fact, she only got her first tablet for Christmas three years ago from her daughter, who thought it might be more practical for her than carrying around so many books.
Doris loves Elton John. Really loves him. Has a shrine in fact.
Whilst playing around on her tablet one afternoon, an advertisement for Elton John's final tour splashes across Doris's screen. She will fight any man for those tickets. Trouble is, the only site currently selling these tickets is Ticketmaster and they are employing the use of their new feature, VerifiedFan.
Bad luck Doris, looks like you'll be last to see those Elton tickets.
Come on Ticketmaster, everyone knows there no such algorithm that can prove anyone is more of fans than their neighbour. It seems that potentially this might just be another ploy for fans to cough over even more cash.
Not cool Ticketmaster...
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