Amazon gets relief from Perplexity's AI

Amazon has received temporary relief from Perplexity's AI, though it does not provide the specific details about what Perplexity's product is or how it affects Amazon.

AMZN won a temporary court injunction against AI startup Perplexity, blocking its Comet browser from using AI agents to make purchases on Amazon's marketplace. U.S. District Judge Maxine Chesney ruled on March 6, 2026, that Amazon provided strong evidence Perplexity's Comet browser accessed password-protected accounts with user permission but without Amazon's authorization, violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

The ruling is a landmark moment in the emerging legal battle over agentic AI commerce. Perplexity was ordered to stop accessing password-protected areas of Amazon's systems and destroy its copies of Amazon's data while litigation continues. Perplexity filed an appeal on March 10, challenging the injunction. The case, which originated from Amazon's November 2025 lawsuit, tests whether AI agents acting on behalf of consumers can bypass platform terms of service.

The outcome could set important legal precedent for the broader agentic AI industry, where startups are building autonomous shopping assistants that interact with e-commerce platforms. For Amazon, the temporary relief protects its marketplace ecosystem and data, but the appeal means the legal uncertainty is far from resolved. Investors in both e-commerce and AI sectors should monitor this case as it could shape the regulatory framework for AI-powered consumer agents.