Amazon Seeks Reversal of Perplexity Shopping Agent Ruling

Amazon has filed a petition with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider a recent ruling that allowed Perplexity's Comet shopping agent to continue operating on Amazon.com. In its petition, Amazon argues that the initial ruling 'degraded website owners' ability to set the terms on which powerful, fast-evolving, and potentially destructive AI agents may enter their secure systems.'

The dispute dates back to November 2023 when Amazon alleged Perplexity's Comet browser made unauthorized purchases on behalf of users. A U.S. District Court Judge initially sided with Amazon, ruling that Perplexity likely violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act by accessing Amazon users' accounts without authorization.

A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court later reversed this decision in July 2026, citing concerns about consumer choice and the development of AI technology. The judges argued that Perplexity did not 'access' Amazon's site, but rather users accessed Amazon with the assistant's help.

Amazon disagrees with this interpretation, stating that 'users may or may not choose to access Amazon, but the assistant will access Amazon regardless, acting under Perplexity's control.'