Court Prohibits Perplexity’s AI Shopping Bots from Accessing Amazon Platform
A federal court has granted Amazon’s request to prevent Perplexity’s artificial intelligence agents from making purchases on the e-commerce platform without proper authorization. US District Judge Maxine Chesney ruled that the retail giant presented compelling evidence demonstrating unauthorized access by Perplexity’s Comet browser technology.
The legal dispute began when Amazon filed a lawsuit against the AI company in November, claiming the tech startup repeatedly ignored requests to halt its automated shopping services. According to court documents, Amazon accused Perplexity of unlawfully infiltrating user accounts through its Comet browser’s shopping functionality, potentially violating federal computer fraud statutes.
The e-commerce giant further alleged that Perplexity engaged in deceptive practices by disguising its Comet browser to appear as Google Chrome, effectively masking its automated activities on the Amazon marketplace. These accusations form the basis of Amazon’s claims regarding unauthorized system access and data collection.
The preliminary injunction mandates that Perplexity immediately cease all AI agent activities on Amazon’s platform and eliminate any previously collected Amazon data from its systems. The court order will become effective within one week, providing Perplexity an opportunity to file an appeal during this period.
Amazon’s legal representative, Lara Hendrickson, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision, stating it would effectively halt Perplexity’s unauthorized marketplace activities. The company indicated its intention to pursue the matter through continued litigation. In response, Perplexity spokesperson Jesse Dwyer emphasized the company’s commitment to defending users’ rights to select their preferred AI services, suggesting the legal battle will continue.
This case highlights growing tensions between traditional e-commerce platforms and emerging AI technologies that seek to automate consumer activities, raising questions about authorization protocols and data access rights in the digital marketplace.