TL;DR
The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals has stayed an order that would have blocked Perplexity AI’s shopping agent from accessing Amazon’s platform. The temporary reprieve, granted hours before the ban was due to take effect, keeps the agent operational while Perplexity’s appeal proceeds.
The Dispute Over AI Agent Access
Amazon sued Perplexity in November 2025, alleging the startup committed computer fraud by sending its shopping agent — built into the Comet browser — to access password-protected user account information and make purchases on Amazon without consent. Amazon claimed Perplexity ignored repeated requests to stop and disguised its bots’ activity as human browsing.
US District Judge Maxine Chesney issued a blocking order on 9 March but suspended it for a week to allow an appeal. The 9th Circuit granted the stay on Monday, hours before the Tuesday deadline.
Why This Matters for AI Agents
The case sits at the intersection of two fast-moving trends: the rise of AI agents that act on behalf of users, and the question of whether platforms can block those agents from accessing their services.
Perplexity framed the dispute as a consumer rights issue, saying it will “continue to fight for its customers’ right to choose their own AI.” Amazon’s position is that third-party bots accessing user accounts without platform consent constitute unauthorised access, regardless of user intent.
For UK businesses building or integrating AI agents, the outcome could establish important precedent. If Amazon prevails, platforms would have broad authority to block AI intermediaries. If Perplexity wins, it could open the door to agent-driven commerce that bypasses traditional platform interfaces.
Looking Forward
The stay is a short-term measure while the appeals court considers the broader case. With AI agents increasingly designed to browse, shop, and transact on behalf of users, the Amazon-Perplexity dispute is likely the first of many legal battles over where platform control ends and user-directed AI autonomy begins.