US Judge asks Perplexity to stop its AI shopping agents access Amazon accounts

A federal judge in California has granted Amazon a preliminary injunction against AI startup Perplexity, barring its Comet browser's AI shopping agents from accessing password-protected Amazon accounts and making purchases on behalf of users. The ruling, issued by Judge Maxine Chesney, sided with Amazon's claims that Perplexity's actions violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) and California's computer fraud statute. Amazon had sued Perplexity, alleging that its Comet browser, while having user permission, accessed Amazon accounts without the e-commerce giant's authorization. Amazon argued that Perplexity's agents disguised automated activity as human browsing, bypassed platform restrictions, and posed potential security risks to customer data. Furthermore, Amazon claimed Perplexity ignored multiple cease-and-desist requests and even circumvented technical barriers Amazon put in place. Perplexity, on its part, contended that the purchases were legitimate because users had authorized their AI agent to act on their behalf, and compared Comet's functionality to that of a standard web browser. The startup also suggested that Amazon's lawsuit was motivated by a desire to protect its advertising revenue and eliminate a competitor to its own AI shopping tools. The injunction mandates that Perplexity cease these activities and destroy any Amazon customer data or website information obtained through its agents. The order was initially stayed for a week to allow Perplexity to appeal, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is now considering a longer-term pause on the injunction. This case is seen as a crucial test of the legal framework surrounding 'agentic' AI and its interaction with e-commerce platforms.