Amazon threatens AI browser Perplexity with legal action to stop its AI agents from browsing the web



Perplexity , an AI company focused on combining chat AI with search engines, has developed the AI search engine 'Perplexity AI' and the AI-powered browser ' Comet .' Perplexity has reported that it has received strong legal threats from Amazon, alleging that Comet violates Amazon's terms of service.

Bullying is Not Innovation
https://www.perplexity.ai/en/hub/blog/bullying-is-not-innovation



Read: Amazon's Cease and Desist letter to Perplexity
https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-perplexity-comet-statement

Amazon sends legal threats to Perplexity over agentic browsing | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2025/11/04/amazon-sends-legal-threats-to-perplexity-over-agentic-browsing/

Comet is equipped with Perplexity's proprietary search engine, which allows users to search and summarize various information using AI, and can also automate tasks using web apps. Users can use text or voice commands to tell Comet to perform tasks such as 'send emails' or 'write code.'

Additionally, Perplexity AI announced 'Buy with Pro,' a feature that allows users to purchase products with one click from search results, and 'Snap to Shop,' a product search feature using photos, on November 18, 2025. Furthermore, when users ask Perplexity AI questions about shopping, it will provide accurate and objective answers, as well as display recommended products and details in card format, making it possible to use it as an AI assistant for easy access to the products they are looking for.

AI search engine 'Perplexity' adds shopping feature 'Buy with Pro' for free shipping on all orders - GIGAZINE



In a blog post titled 'Bullying Is Not Innovation,' Perplexity reported that Amazon had issued 'strong legal threats' against the shopping feature. Perplexity said Amazon repeatedly warned them that 'Comet's failure to clearly state that it is an AI agent violates Amazon's terms of service,' and then sent them a strongly worded cease and desist order.

According to Perplexity, Perplexity AI and Comet allow users to use their AI assistant to search for products they want to buy on Amazon, allowing them to quickly find the product they're looking for from Amazon's vast lineup and compare options to purchase the product that best suits their needs. However, Amazon displays search results on its site that include advertisements and sponsorships, which are not displayed when searching with the AI assistant. 'Amazon places a premium on enticing purchases with confusing offers, and therefore disfavors efficient purchasing using the AI assistant,' Perplexity points out.

Perplexity strongly criticized Amazon, saying, 'The essence of technology is to make people's lives better. We call it innovation, but innovation is the process of constantly asking how to make things better. Meanwhile, large companies are using legal threats and intimidation to bully innovation and make people's lives worse. Amazon is taking away users' rights, pushing ads, and later trying to partner with AI agents designed to exploit users. This goes beyond bullying and is insane.' Furthermore, 'Our products are loved by people because they are designed for people. We believe that every user has the right to use the AI of their choice. Perplexity fights for users' rights.'



In response to Perplexity's blog, Amazon released a statement on November 5, 2025. Amazon noted that it does not prevent external services, such as AI assistants, from assisting with Amazon purchases, and that 'other third parties disclose their identities.' It continued, 'We believe that third-party applications that process purchases on behalf of other businesses' customers, such as food delivery apps, should operate openly and respect the service provider's decisions regarding participation. This also applies to AI browsers like Comet. Given the significant degradation of the shopping and customer service experience provided by Comet, we have repeatedly requested that Perplexity remove Amazon from the Comet experience.' The statement also included a cease and desist order (PDF file) that Perplexity claimed was 'severely worded.'

Amazon points out that 'the problem is not access using third-party services, but the problem is with Comet's access method.' However, Perplexity has been accused by Cloudflare of using stealthy crawlers to collect information against the wishes of website operators, and has also been sued by the Britannica Group, a well-known dictionary publisher, for misusing its content. It has also been sued by Reddit for scraping content and illegally stealing data. Problems with the AI training methods have often been pointed out.

Reddit sues Perplexity and four other companies for illegally stealing content from Google search results to train AI - GIGAZINE



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