In an attempt to deal with the problem of touting, Ticketmaster is considering using software to examine people's social media accounts to determine whether or not they are a genuine fan.
Adrian Weckler, technology editor with the Irish Independent, explains that almost half of Ticketmaster's site traffic comes from robots: "They're looking for signals that the person is a genuine buyer and not a bot that is taking up time and space."
This is just the latest in a series of identity verification measures being put in place by companies, and Adrian says it's something we're all going to have to get used to.
But will this approach actually help combat touting? Fine Gael TD Noel Rock doesn't think so.
"It's a headline-grabbing initiative more so than anything else, because they feel the pressure of legislation bearing down on them after years of inaction. It seems to be a little bit over the top and I'm not exactly sure how it will work. If I was delayed because I didn't have a social media profile that met the standards of Ticketmaster, how would I get my tickets?"
Those who don't use social media will no doubt be worried about missing out on tickets, and Adrian says, "We can talk about the problems and pitfalls of relying on services like Facebook to verify who we are, but it's going to happen - it's happening already. That's just the world we're entering."
