A San Francisco federal court has granted Amazon a temporary injunction against Perplexity, ordering the AI company to halt its Comet browser's use for making purchases on Amazon's platform. The ruling addresses concerns over unauthorized access to user accounts. Perplexity has one week to appeal the decision.
Amazon has obtained a preliminary injunction in its legal dispute with Perplexity over the AI firm's shopping features. The case centers on Perplexity's Comet web browser, which employs an AI agent to facilitate purchases on Amazon's marketplace on behalf of users.
District Judge Maxine Chesney issued the order, stating, "Amazon has provided strong evidence that Perplexity, through its Comet browser, accesses with the Amazon user's permission but without authorization by Amazon, the user's password-protected account." This temporary block requires Perplexity to cease accessing any password-protected sections of Amazon's systems and to destroy its copies of Amazon's data, pending further proceedings.
The conflict arose after Amazon issued a cease-and-desist letter to Perplexity in November, claiming that the AI agent's activities violate its terms of service. An Amazon spokesperson emphasized the ruling's significance: "The preliminary injunction will prevent Perplexity’s unauthorized access to the Amazon store and is an important step in maintaining a trusted shopping experience for Amazon customers."
Perplexity, however, plans to challenge the decision. A company representative responded, "Perplexity will continue to fight for the right of internet users to choose whatever AI they want."
The injunction provides Perplexity with a one-week window to appeal. This development highlights ongoing tensions between e-commerce platforms and AI developers regarding data access and user automation tools. The case remains in federal court in San Francisco as both parties prepare for continued litigation.
