Hajra Naz
Amazon has ordered Perplexity AI to remove its agentic browser, Comet, from the Amazon platform. Both companies confirmed the move on Tuesday, marking a growing conflict between the e-commerce giant and the fast-rising AI search startup.
According to Amazon, Comet violated its terms of service by not identifying itself as an automated agent. After several warnings, Amazon sent a cease-and-desist letter, demanding that Perplexity stop users from deploying its AI shopping assistant on the site.
Perplexity hit back publicly in a blog post titled “Bullying Is Not Innovation.” The company called Amazon’s move a “legal threat against innovation,” adding that this marks Amazon’s first legal strike against an AI firm—and could threaten AI freedom and user choice online.
Perplexity argues that since its agent acts under a user’s direction, it has the same permissions as a human user. The startup says its agents should not have to declare themselves separately.
Amazon disagrees. It insists that all third-party AI agents must identify themselves, just as food delivery apps disclose they’re placing restaurant orders or travel booking apps reveal they’re intermediaries. Amazon says this ensures transparency and fair business practices.
The tech giant also hinted that it could block Comet and other AI-powered shopping bots entirely. Amazon’s statement read, “Third-party applications that make purchases on behalf of customers should operate openly and respect service providers’ decisions.”
Perplexity, however, claims Amazon’s real motive is advertising revenue and product placement control. It argues that bots like Comet wouldn’t get distracted by upsells or targeted ads, potentially cutting into Amazon’s profits.
The dispute echoes an earlier controversy. Months ago, Cloudflare accused Perplexity of scraping blocked websites to generate AI responses. While many defended Perplexity, arguing its actions resembled normal web browsing, Cloudflare pointed out that Perplexity sometimes masked its identity to access restricted content.
Read More: Amazon and OpenAI Announce $38B Cloud Computing Deal
Experts say this latest conflict foreshadows the coming battle over AI agents and web access. As AI-driven shopping, travel, and automation tools become mainstream, platforms like Amazon will have to decide whether to block or collaborate with bots.
For now, Amazon appears to be drawing a line: if AI agents want to operate on its platform, they must play by its rules.
FAQs
1. What is Perplexity’s Comet AI?
Comet is an AI-powered shopping assistant by Perplexity that helps users browse and make purchases across online stores using agentic automation.
2. Why did Amazon send a legal threat to Perplexity?
Amazon claims Comet violated its terms of service by not identifying itself as an AI agent when operating on the site.
3. How did Perplexity respond to Amazon’s warning?
Perplexity published a blog post titled “Bullying Is Not Innovation,” accusing Amazon of trying to stifle AI innovation and limit consumer freedom.
4. Has Perplexity faced similar issues before?
Yes. Cloudflare previously accused Perplexity of scraping blocked websites, sparking debates about AI data ethics and transparency.
