In a dramatic turn, Amazon.com, Inc. (founded by Jeff Bezos) has officially filed a federal lawsuit against Perplexity AI, Inc., the San Francisco-based startup behind the AI-powered web browser agent known as Comet. The complaint, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California this week, accuses Perplexity of deploying its tool in a way that violates Amazon’s terms of service, misrepresents automated activity as human shopping, and threatens both security and the customer experience.
Amazon claims that Comet acts autonomously to browse and purchase items on Amazon’s platform on behalf of users, effectively masquerading as a genuine human shopper rather than an AI agent. According to the company, this crosses the line into computer fraud—including “disguising automated activity as that of a real human shopper”.
This legal confrontation signals not just a one-off fight, but a broader struggle over how far “agentic AI”—software that acts autonomously on behalf of users—can go when interacting with large digital platforms. Amazon’s filing suggests that unless such agents operate transparently and within clearly defined rules, major platforms will push back.
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What’s At Stake for Amazon and Perplexity
For Amazon, the issue is two-fold: defending its platform integrity and maintaining control over the shopping ecosystem it has built over the years. The complaint states that Comet’s activity “degrades the Amazon shopping experience” and introduces “potential privacy risks”.
Amazon says:
- It has repeatedly demanded Perplexity stop allowing Comet to access its site in this manner — via a cease-and-desist letter issued last week.
- Any automated service accessing Amazon’s website must clearly identify itself as such and abide by Amazon’s terms. According to a statement by the company: “Agentic third-party applications such as Perplexity’s Comet have the same obligations … we’ve repeatedly requested that Perplexity remove Amazon from the Comet experience, particularly in light of the significantly degraded shopping and customer service experience it provides.”
For Perplexity, the fight is about freedom of innovation and user choice. The startup pushed back, calling Amazon’s move anecdotal of a dominant player trying to squash competition. Perplexity’s spokesperson labelled Amazon’s action as bullying, while the company’s blog argued that consumers should have the right to choose AI agents to assist them in shopping.
Interestingly, the entanglement of interests runs deeper: Perplexity counts Amazon founder Jeff Bezos among its investors and uses Amazon Web Services as its main infrastructure provider.
Broader Implications for AI-Driven Shopping Agents
This case is more than a simple skirmish—it could set precedents for how AI agents engage with major platforms and what kind of autonomy they can have. The term “agentic AI” is used to describe tools like Comet that automate not just search or browsing, but full-blown tasks like purchases. The company’s lawsuit touches on the heart of this: when does an “agent” cross the line into unauthorised, covert automation?
Legal experts suggest the law in this domain is murky. As one noted: “Distinguishing between web browsing, scraping, and agentic AI access is going to be extremely difficult for the law.”
In practical terms:
- If Amazon succeeds, it may deter or regulate future AI shopping agents from operating on its site—or require heavy disclosure and partnership.
- If Perplexity wins (or settles favourably), it may open doors for more AI agents to shop autonomously on behalf of users across multiple platforms.
- Users themselves may have to weigh trust, transparency, security and convenience. As reports indicate, a significant portion of consumers may still shy away from letting AI make purchases on their behalf.
From a Nigerian or African e-commerce perspective, the case also signals vigilance for platform providers abroad: as AI tools advance, local players might face similar tensions when external agents begin automating interactions on platforms without full disclosure or alignment.
What Happens Next and Local Takeaways
What we should watch:
- The timeline: Amazon’s filing comes after the cease-and-desist letter. Legal proceedings may drag out, but initial court decisions could shape behaviour rapidly.
- The defined boundaries for AI agents: Will courts require an explicit declaration that “this is an AI agent making purchases”, or will technical blocking (by Amazon) suffice?
- The commercial response: Amazon has its own AI shopping tools—such as “Buy For Me” and “Rufus”—so this isn’t just about policy, it’s about competition.
- Local implications: E-commerce firms in Nigeria and broader Africa may take note—if a global giant like Amazon acts to block third-party automation, the same way local marketplaces may solidify policies around AI-based shopping agents, affiliate bots or resellers using automation.
For consumers and businesses in Nigeria:
- If you use emerging shopping-assistant tools powered by AI, be aware of the terms of the platform you’re transacting on (whether local or international). Unauthorised automation could expose you to risks—or even service bans.
- For entrepreneurs exploring AI shopping agents, the Amazon-Perplexity tussle underscores the importance of platform alignment, permissions and transparency. Embedding automation in e-commerce isn’t just a tech challenge—it’s a legal and strategic one.
- For marketplaces and platforms, the scene is a call to review existing policies: how do you treat AI agents? Do you allow them, restrict them, or require explicit transparency? The earlier you define policy, the better you can avoid legal or regulatory friction.
Conclusion
What began as an innovation in autonomous shopping tools has morphed into a landmark legal and strategic conflict between a dominant e-commerce platform and an ambitious AI startup. The outcome will ripple beyond Silicon Valley—it may shape how AI assistants, shopping bots and platform policies evolve globally.
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