US Court Bars Perplexity AI Agents from Making Amazon Purchases on Behalf of Users

• March 10, 2026

A recent ruling by a US district court has prohibited Perplexity’s AI agents from making purchases on Amazon on behalf of users. The decision follows concerns that the AI’s browser, known as Comet, accessed Amazon user accounts without explicit permission from the marketplace.

Judge Maxine Chesney presided over the case and delivered the injunction after considering evidence presented by Amazon. The e-commerce giant argued that Perplexity’s AI breached Amazon’s policies by automating purchase transactions using user credentials without authorization.

Implications for AI and E-Commerce Integration

The court’s order highlights ongoing challenges in balancing AI capabilities with platform security and user privacy. Perplexity’s technology, designed to assist users by performing tasks like purchasing items through natural language commands, faced scrutiny for its method of interfacing with Amazon accounts.

Amazon’s position in the lawsuit centered on protecting its marketplace from unauthorized automated interactions that could violate terms of service and compromise user data security. The Comet browser, utilized by Perplexity’s AI to interact with websites on behalf of customers, was determined to operate beyond permitted access boundaries.

Legal experts suggest this ruling could serve as a precedent for future disputes involving AI agents acting autonomously within commercial platforms. Companies integrating AI-driven purchasing or similar functionalities may need to reevaluate compliance frameworks and seek clearer user consent mechanisms to avoid similar legal barriers.

Perplexity’s approach employing AI agents aimed to simplify digital shopping, enabling users to delegate complex tasks. However, this incident raises questions about accountability and control when AI systems handle sensitive transactions. The balance between innovation and regulatory compliance remains a focal point as AI technologies become increasingly embedded in everyday online activities.

The court’s decision does not address other functionalities of Perplexity’s AI but specifically restricts its ability to process Amazon purchases through the Comet browser. It underscores the necessity for AI developers and e-commerce platforms to collaboratively establish transparent and secure operational standards moving forward.

A US judge has blocked Perplexity AI agents from buying items on Amazon, citing unauthorized access to user accounts via the Comet browser.