The former U.S. president Donald Trump has signed an executive order to tackle ticket scalping, a process that has long irritated concert and sports event attendees. The order seeks to stem “unscrupulous middlemen” who profit from reselling tickets, usually causing prices to skyrocket and events to become inaccessible to regular consumers.
The order requires tighter controls over secondary ticketing markets, obliging sites to publish original ticket prices, limit resale price hikes, and put in place protections against bulk purchasing using automated robots. These measures are designed to provide fair access to live events, stopping fans from being priced out by scalpers who hoard ticket sales.
Trump’s action is timed with increasing public outrage at skyrocketing ticket prices, exemplified by high-profile instances like Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour ticket debacle putting the issue in the limelight. The order, supporters say, will bring back fairness in ticket sales, but opponents question if it will be enforced effectively.
With the 2024 election on the horizon, this policy might be used to Trump’s advantage in his overall appeal to working-class Americans as a consumer rights champion. Whether the order will endure or be challenged in court is yet to be determined.
