‘Cyber Grinches’ snatching toys should be stopped, US lawmakers say


Star Wars toy accessories at a store in Houston, Texas. Blumenthal and Schumer want to crack down on ‘cyber Grinches’ using bots to quickly snap up entire inventories of popular holiday toys to resell them at higher prices. Their actions could make some of the items almost impossible to buy, the politicians say, exacerbating shortages sparked by supply chain woes. — AFP

A group of Democrats wants to stop the Grinch from stealing Christmas. Except this time around the spoilsport they’re targeting is not a furry green creature, but a robot.

US lawmakers including Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chuck Schumer introduced a bill to crack down on “cyber Grinches” using bots to quickly snap up entire inventories of popular holiday toys and resell them at higher prices. Their actions could make some of the items almost impossible to buy, the politicians say, exacerbating shortages sparked by supply chain woes.

Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month
RM5/month

Billed as RM5/month for the 1st 6 months then RM13.90 thereafters.

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In Tech News

AI-generated child pornography is circulating. This US prosecutor wants to make it illegal.
Study links excessive Internet use to teen school absence risk
Apple plans to invest more than $250 million to expand Singapore campus
TSMC Q1 profit rises 9%, beats market expectations
EU watchdog: Meta shouldn’t force users to pay for data protection
Nokia sees stronger H2 after Q1 comparable profit grows less than expected
US student hospitalised after trying dangerous TikTok ‘blackout challenge’
Layoff whiplash scars workers who find new jobs only to lose them
European Union questions TikTok on new app that pays users for watching
Man watches RM119,000, woman disappear in online dating scam, US police say

Others Also Read