Court permits Perplexity’s AI agent to make purchases on Amazon, reversing a previous ban.

      An AI agent can shop on Amazon, regardless of the retailer's preferences. A US appeals court has nullified an injunction that restricted Perplexity’s shopping agent from accessing the platform, marking an initial victory for the software that browses and purchases on behalf of users.

      The Ninth Circuit determined that Amazon’s primary legal argument was not valid. As Perplexity’s Comet agent operates solely at the user's command, the court concluded that it is the user, not Perplexity, who engages with Amazon’s servers.

      Comet is the agent integrated into Perplexity’s AI browser. When directed towards a product, it can navigate Amazon and finalize a purchase—an autonomous function that many emerging AI companies believe will redefine traditional online shopping.

      Amazon contended that the agent represented unauthorized access, alleging that Perplexity disguised Comet as a standard Chrome browser to evade detection, and referenced a 2024 agreement in which Perplexity had consented to pause agent-driven shopping.

      Perplexity presented the issue as one concerning user control over their shopping experience, arguing that consumers should have the freedom to use any software they desire on websites they are already permitted to visit.

      The conflict revolves around an old hacking law. Amazon relied on the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, which was created for a different type of violation, and the court concluded that a tool acting on a user’s behalf does not qualify as unauthorized access.

      The reasoning behind this decision is significant. If an agent executing a user's commands is legally regarded as the user, platforms potentially lose a key mechanism for preventing third-party agents from accessing their services, effectively opening the door to agent-assisted commerce.

      For Amazon, this is a real concern. The company has invested years in crafting a controlled shopping experience, from search algorithms to product recommendations, and an agent that bypasses this process undermines their influence and the advertising revenue linked to that control.

      Amazon has also been developing its own agent capabilities, integrating Alexa into the search bar in an effort to dominate the shopping agent market rather than being bypassed by competitors.

      This shift is already progressing in other regions. China's major platforms have advanced the furthest, replacing traditional search bars with AI agents that shop for users, offering a glimpse of potential future trends in Western retail.

      The underlying technology is also converging. Alibaba has seamlessly integrated its own models into Taobao for comprehensive agent shopping, which is the type of first-party integration Amazon prefers over a competitor’s bot navigating its site.

      The battle is not concluded. Amazon stated it remains confident and is considering its options, which may include requesting a rehearing or appealing to the Supreme Court, while the original lawsuit proceeds in a San Francisco courtroom.

      However, an appeals court decision holds significant weight. It provides a framework for other agent developers to argue that representing a user does not constitute hacking, and it alerts platforms that blanket prohibitions might not withstand legal scrutiny.

      Moreover, it raises broader, unresolved questions. When an agent acts in a harmful rather than beneficial manner, it remains unclear who bears the liability, and treating the agent as the user carries implications that extend far beyond a shopping context.

      The stakes in this situation are both commercial and legal. Retail media has emerged as one of Amazon’s fastest-expanding profit sources, and an agent that disregards sponsored ads and opts for the cheapest options could disrupt the economic model underpinning that revenue stream.

      The underlying tension is structural. Websites were designed for human interaction, and a bot that processes and purchases items at machine speed challenges both the technical foundations and the business models that support them.

      Currently, agents appear to have the advantage. A court has ruled against the web’s largest retailer from excluding them, in a decision that may be far more impactful than it initially seems.