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Amazon and Perplexity are facing off in what could become one of the most significant legal clashes in the AI era. Last week, Amazon sent a cease-and-desist letter to Perplexity, accusing it of using its Comet browser to access Amazon’s e-commerce platform unlawfully.
The tech giant demanded that Perplexity stop “evading Amazon’s technological measures” designed to block Comet from displaying products or making purchases on users’ behalf. Amazon also raised concerns about user data security, saying that storing Amazon account data within Comet poses risks.
Perplexity, on the other hand, fired back — accusing Amazon of bullying and intimidation to suppress innovation.
According to Amazon’s legal notice, Perplexity’s Comet browser disguises itself as Google Chrome to “covertly intrude” into Amazon’s websites. This, Amazon argues, prevents it from identifying AI agents accessing its services.
Amazon insists that transparency is critical to ensure that its systems can monitor AI agents, prevent misuse, and safeguard customer trust. The company claims that when Comet makes purchases, it may not choose the best options for the user, resulting in poor shopping experiences.
Further, Amazon says Comet is vulnerable to prompt-injection attacks and other threats since it handles users’ login credentials and payment details while hiding its identity — creating potential security risks.
The dispute is not entirely new. Amazon claims Perplexity has been knowingly accessing its store without authorization since November 2024 through its “Buy with Pro” feature.
Although Perplexity previously agreed to stop, Amazon alleges that in August 2025, Comet resumed access, this time disguised as Chrome. When Amazon introduced new security blocks, Perplexity allegedly released a new version of Comet within 24 hours to bypass them.
Amazon says it repeatedly tried to engage with Perplexity, but the company refused.
Perplexity responded publicly through a blog post, calling Amazon’s move “bullying” and “a threat to all Internet users.” It argued that users should have the right to hire an AI agent to shop for them and that Amazon is blocking innovation.
The company accused Amazon of trying to limit user choice and resist technologies that could simplify online shopping. Perplexity also suggested that Amazon’s real motive is to keep users exposed to ads, sponsored results, and upselling tactics rather than letting an AI handle efficient purchasing.
Amazon insists that Perplexity’s actions amount to illegal intrusion and have caused significant harm — disrupting customer trust and forcing Amazon to devote resources to track and prevent the misuse.
The letter warns that if Perplexity continues, Amazon will seek injunctive relief and damages. It also demands that Perplexity stop evading Amazon’s systems and identify itself transparently as Comet AI when operating on its store.
Perplexity says it will not bow down to Amazon’s legal pressure. It maintains that “agentic shopping” is the natural evolution of e-commerce and that users demand such tools.
This case could set a major precedent for how AI agents interact with existing web platforms. Lawmakers now face the challenge of balancing innovation with digital domain protection — deciding whether to shield established services or let new AI technologies flourish.
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