Court restricts Perplexity’s AI shopping bot from accessing Amazon

Perplexity AI must stop using its Comet browser agent to make purchases on Amazon. A federal judge sided with Amazon in an early ruling over AI shopping bots.

Why we care. The case targets a core promise of AI agents: completing tasks like shopping on a user’s behalf. If courts restrict how agents access sites, AI agents could face strict limits when interacting with logged-in accounts on major websites.

What happened. U.S. District Judge Maxine Chesney granted Amazon a preliminary injunction Monday in San Francisco federal court.

• The order blocks Perplexity from using its Comet browser agent to access password-protected parts of Amazon, including Prime subscriber accounts.
• Chesney wrote that Amazon presented “strong evidence” that Comet accessed accounts “with the Amazon user’s permission but without authorization by Amazon.”
• The ruling also requires Perplexity to destroy any Amazon data it previously collected.

Catch-up quick. Amazon sued Perplexity in November, accusing the startup of computer fraud and unauthorized access. The company said Comet made purchases from Amazon on behalf of users without properly identifying itself as a bot.

What’s next. The order is paused for one week to allow Perplexity to appeal.

What they’re saying. Amazon spokesperson Lara Hendrickson told Bloomberg (subscription required) the injunction “will prevent Perplexity’s unauthorized access to the Amazon store and is an important step in maintaining a trusted shopping experience for Amazon customers.”

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