Ticketmaster, which is owned by Live Nation, has announced a major new policy to fight ticket scalping and the illegal use of multiple accounts. This big change comes shortly after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit, claiming the companies made money by quietly supporting massive scalper operations.
In a recent letter to U.S. senators, Live Nationâs executive Dan Wall confirmed two key actions:
- Only One Account: Ticketmaster is now banning all users, including professional ticket resellers (brokers), from having more than one account. To enforce this, the company will use AI tools and check identities, requiring resellers to supply a unique tax ID number when listing tickets.
- TradeDesk is Gone: The company will also shut down TradeDesk, a software tool designed to help resellers manage their ticket inventory. Wall stated the platform did not break the law, but they are closing it to avoid âreputational harmâ due to the FTCâs concerns about the tool.
The FTC lawsuit, filed in September, accused Ticketmaster and Live Nation of breaking the BOTS Act by helping brokers ignore ticket limits. This practice allowed brokers to âhoardâ huge amounts of tickets and resell them at much higher prices.
While Live Nation strongly denies these claims of working with scalpers, saying the allegations are âcategorically false,â the company admitted that the multiple-account problem had become too big:
âWhat started as a reasonable and acceptable level of behavior has been abused, and today it is growing exponentially through digitally exploited means. Itâs unfair to artists and fans and it is time to do something about it.â
This implementation of new policies, banning duplicate accounts and eliminating the broker-focused TradeDesk platform, is a direct response to the intense legal and political pressure, signaling a definitive pivot toward consumer protection and ensuring tickets are secured by genuine fans.
If you would like to learn more, check out the original sources below.