Two months after millions of Taylor Swift fans were knocked offline while attempting to purchase concert tickets, Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn (R – Tenn.) is joining Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) to to combat the use and operation of bots in the online ticket marketplace.
Below is a transcript of Blackburn’s statements during her guest appearance on CNBC Squawk Box, with host Joe Kernen. Blackburn published her remarks in an official press release.
“When I am out and about in Nashville, I hear from tour managers. I hear from business managers, talent agents [about] how frustrated they are with what is happening with Live Nation and with Ticketmaster, and they feel it’s appropriate for us to step in. In 2016 when I was in the House, Senator Schumer and I passed the BOTS Act, which gives the FTC the authority to move in and to go after these bots to work with these ticketing platforms. And the FTC has not exercised that authority. They need to be doing it. They’ve only brought forward one case. But the point is also that these ticket platforms, when they know they’ve got a bot in their presence, they need to give that information to the FTC so that the FTC can go after this — so they can be blocked from these sites. And so fans, whether they’re fans of the Grand Ole Opry or Taylor Swift or any of the other ones that are out there, they can get the tickets for the shows that they want.”
Since 2004, O’Hern has worked with political campaigns in roles ranging from major projects involving nationwide digital marketing for U.S. Presidential candidates, U.S. Congressmen, state governors, and state representatives. O’Hern’s journalism background includes news reporting and editing for various organizations and news publications in Alabama and Florida since 2002. O’Hern graduated from Samford University in Birmingham, Ala with a degree in journalism and a minor in political science.