A federal judge has temporarily blocked Perplexity's Comet AI browser from accessing Amazon's website, delivering a significant legal win to the e-commerce giant in an ongoing battle over AI agents and web access.

The Ruling

U.S. District Judge Maxine Chesney issued the preliminary injunction on Monday, citing "strong evidence" that Perplexity's Comet browser accessed Amazon's systems at users' direction but without Amazon's authorization. Chesney noted "essentially undisputed evidence" that Amazon spent over $5,000 countering the intrusions — including employee hours developing tools to block Comet from future unauthorized access.

The ruling includes a one-week stay to give Perplexity time to appeal.

Background

Amazon sued Perplexity in November 2025, alleging the startup concealed its AI agents to continue scraping Amazon's site after being told to stop. Perplexity called the lawsuit a "bully tactic."

Perplexity's Comet browser lets users ask an AI assistant to find items on Amazon and complete purchases on their behalf. Amazon argued those agents posed security risks by acting within "protected computer systems, including private customer accounts requiring a password." The company also said AI-generated ad impressions created costly complications for its advertising systems.

Bigger Picture

Amazon has broadly blocked AI agents from its shopping platform — including OpenAI's ChatGPT — while building its own AI assistant, Rufus. The company framed the case as protecting a "trusted shopping experience" for its customers.

Perplexity said it "will continue to fight for the right of internet users to choose whatever AI they want."

The case sets an important precedent: whether AI agents acting on behalf of users constitute unauthorized computer access — a legal question the industry will face again.