A key part of the “AI agentic” dream has encountered a significant legal hurdle. Many have longed for the day when you can tell your computer what you want to buy, and a digital assistant handles the tedious work of scouring the web, comparing prices, and clicking “purchase.” One of the companies that promised to offer something similar was Perplexity with Comet. However, as a lawsuit result, Amazon secured a preliminary injunction against Perplexity AI, blocking the Comet browser‘s agentic, autonomous shopping capabilities on the e-commerce platform.
The ruling, issued by District Judge Maxine Chesney, temporarily bars Perplexity from using its “Comet” browser agent to access password-protected areas of Amazon’s marketplace. While the order is temporary, it marks a historic moment in the tug-of-war between AI startups and the massive platforms that host the world’s data.
Amazon vs Perplexity: The lawsuit that could kill AI shopping agents like Comet
The core of Amazon’s lawsuit, filed in November, centers on how these AI agents actually “see” the web. Amazon accused Perplexity of using deceptive tactics to bypass its security systems. According to the filings, the Comet agent allegedly “concealed” its automated nature, essentially masquerading as a human shopper to slip past bot-detection tools.
Judge Chesney noted that Amazon provided “strong evidence” that while users gave Perplexity permission to access their accounts, Amazon itself did not authorize the startup to enter its password-protected systems. This distinction—user consent versus platform authorization—is the new legal frontier. Amazon argued that these bots pose a security risk and force the company to spend thousands of hours developing new filters to ensure that advertisers aren’t being billed for “bot impressions” instead of real human eyeballs.
The battle for the advertising market within Amazon
At first glance, this could look like an argument about terms of service. But behind the scenes, it’s a battle for the future of online advertising. In 2025, Amazon made more than $68 billion from ads. Its business model relies on “discovery”—the process of you scrolling through search results, seeing sponsored products, and perhaps buying something you didn’t know you needed.
AI agents like Comet could completely change this. If an AI skips the search results and goes straight to the “Buy Now” button, the ads and recommendation algorithms that were carefully placed become invisible. By blocking outside bots and promoting its own AI assistant, Rufus, Amazon is effectively building a “walled garden.” Within this garden, the e-commerce giant controls the AI, the data, and the advertising revenue.
The right to choose vs. Platform control
Perplexity, which has seen its valuation soar to $20 billion, isn’t backing down quietly. The startup called the lawsuit a “bully tactic” and said it would keep fighting for “the right of internet users to choose whatever AI they want.” The firm alleges that if a user wants an independent AI to shop for them, they should be allowed to use one.
However, the court’s decision to order Perplexity to destroy copies of Amazon’s data suggests that judges are currently leaning toward platform ownership. If this precedent holds, the era of “permissionless” web scraping may be ending. Future AI startups might find themselves forced to pay for official API access. This could turn the open web into a series of gated communities where every bot must pay a toll to enter.
Perplexity will appeal
Perplexity has one week to appeal the decision. For the average shopper, this means the “all-in-one” AI assistant that handles your groceries, tech upgrades, and clothes in one go might still be a few years—and several lawsuits—away. Overall, it seems the reality of autonomous shopping will be far more complicated than a simple text or voice command.
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