Court blocks Perplexity from using AI agents to shop on Amazon

A US federal judge has granted Amazon’s request for a preliminary injunction against Perplexity, finding the company likely violated federal and California computer fraud laws by using its Comet AI browser to access password-protected Amazon accounts without permission.

US District Judge Maxine Chesney of the Northern District of California on Monday ordered Perplexity to pause its Comet AI agent’s ability to shop on Amazon and to destroy any Amazon data obtained through the activity.

The temporary injunction blocks the tool from entering password-protected sections of Amazon while the case proceeds. Perplexity has one week to appeal before the injunction takes effect.

The lawsuit has been ongoing since late last year. In its November complaint, Amazon alleged that Perplexity’s Comet browser used an AI agent to perform automated actions within user accounts while masquerading as a human Chrome user.

The e-commerce giant said the tool bypassed safeguards, violated its terms of use, and continued operating even after the company implemented technical blocks and issued legal warnings.

Amazon is seeking damages and a court order preventing Perplexity from using AI agents to access its systems or customer accounts.