Judge blocks Perplexity’s AI bot from buying on Amazon in early commercial testing
A federal judge in San Francisco granted Amazon a preliminary injunction on Monday to prevent Perplexity from using the Comet browser’s AI agent to access password-protected parts of Amazon’s website to make purchases for customers.
It’s a legitimate milestone in the fast-paced field of commerce, where AI assistants browse, compare and buy products on behalf of consumers. The case highlights an important question: who controls access when an AI agent appears at a retailer’s digital front door?
In a ruling issuing a preliminary injunction, US District Judge Maxine Chesney found that Amazon could prevail on its claims that Perplexity violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and California’s computer fraud statute.
The judge drew a critical distinction, finding that Comet accessed Amazon accounts “with the consent of the Amazon user, but without Amazon’s authorization.”
In its legal filings, Perplexity argued that Amazon was less concerned with cybersecurity than with eliminating a competitor from its AI shopping tools. The San Francisco-based startup argued that AI agents were bypassing Amazon’s displays for human buyers, and that protecting ad revenue was the real motive for the lawsuit.
Accordingly, Amazon argued that Perplexity deliberately disguised Comet’s AI agent as a normal Google Chrome browser session, avoiding detection rather than revealing itself.
The company said it warned Perplexity at least five times since November 2024 to stop the practice, used a technical barrier to block Comet’s access in August 2025, and watched Perplexity release a software update within 24 hours to prevent it.
“The preliminary injunction will prevent Perplexity’s unauthorized access to the Amazon store and is an important step in maintaining a reliable shopping experience for Amazon customers. We look forward to continuing to file our case in court,” an Amazon spokesperson said Tuesday.
Confusion has not yet released a public comment about the preliminary order.
In previous statements, the company called the lawsuit a “bullying tactic” and asserted that consumers should be free to use any AI assistant they choose to buy online. In a November blog post, the company said Amazon should embrace agent purchasing because it means more transactions and happier customers.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy acknowledged that commerce “has an opportunity to be e-commerce ready” but said agents are not yet good enough at personalization and pricing accuracy. Amazon has its own AI shopping tools, including Rufus and Buy For Me.
Under Monday’s ruling, the moratorium remains for seven days to allow for the confusion period to ask the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for a stay while the company appeals the decision.
A judge rejected Perplexity’s request for a $1 billion bond, which it had sought based on its market valuation and investment in Comet. The judge found that the injunction does not threaten Perplexity’s entire business as Comet is still being used on all other websites.
