---
title: "The UK May Outlaw Scalping With Bots"
description: "Members of the UK parliament recently put forth a motion that calls for the end of automated bots reselling hardware at prices \"greatly above\" MSRP."
date: "2020-12-16"
modified: "2020-12-16"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/the-uk-may-outlaw-scalping-with-bots"
categories:
  - "Future Society"
tags:
  - "automated"
  - "bots"
  - "the digest"
---

# The UK May Outlaw Scalping With Bots

![Members of the UK parliament recently put forth a motion that calls for the end of automated bots reselling hardware at prices "greatly above" MSRP.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/the-uk-may-outlaw-scalping-with-bots.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

## Bot Scalpers

It's nearly impossible to buy a Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 right now, nevermind sought-after GPUs like NVIDA's GeForce RTX 3080. And that's in large part due to automated bots sucking up available inventories almost instantaneously, before any human is able to enter their credit card information.

Resellers in control of those bots then hike up the prices considerably, selling their wares for a ludicrous amounts of money on marketplaces like eBay.

It's not just gamers who are sick and tired of the scheme — members of the UK parliament recently put forth a motion that calls for the end of automated bots reselling at prices "greatly above" Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP), as [*PC Gamer* reports](<https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/uk-parliament-reseller-bots/>).

## The Law

Titled "resale of gaming consoles and computer components purchased by automated bots," the niche motion argues that "new releases of gaming consoles and computer components" should "not be bought in bulk by the use of automated bots which often circumvent maximum purchase quantities imposed by the retailer."

Unfortunately, "early day motions" like these often get drowned out since there are so many of them submitted to Parliament, as *PC Gamer* points out.

There is however some weight behind it. Fifteen members have signed onto the motion so far — but none of them are Conservative MPs, the currently ruling majority in the country.

**READ MORE:** [UK politicians call for "making the resale of goods purchased using an automated bot an illegal activity"](<https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/uk-parliament-reseller-bots/>) \[*PC Gamer*\]

**More on automated bots:** *[Walmart Gives Up on Inventory Robots](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/walmart-giving-up-inventory-robots>)*

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)