Appeals Court Suspends Ban on Perplexity’s AI Shopping Bot on Amazon

Quick Facts

• The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals suspended a March 10 injunction that blocked Perplexity’s AI shopping bot from Amazon’s platform
• Amazon sued Perplexity in November 2025, alleging the $20 billion startup concealed its AI agents to scrape the retailer’s website without authorization
• The case establishes a critical legal distinction: user permission does not substitute for platform authorization in AI agent access

A federal appeals court has temporarily lifted a ban on Perplexity AI’s shopping bot, allowing the artificial intelligence agent to continue operating on Amazon while a higher court reviews the case.

Circuit Judges Eric Miller and Patrick Bumatay of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals suspended a March 10 preliminary injunction that had barred Perplexity’s AI-powered shopping agent, Comet, from Amazon’s marketplace. The judges said the order requires more scrutiny and will issue a permanent decision later.

The legal battle began in November 2025 when Amazon sued Perplexity, alleging the startup deliberately disguised its AI agents to appear as ordinary Google Chrome browser sessions. Amazon claimed this violated the 1986 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and California anti-hacking laws.

District Judge Maxine Chesney had ruled that Amazon provided strong evidence that Perplexity’s bot accessed the retailer’s website without authorization. The judge established a key legal principle: Comet accessed Amazon accounts “with the Amazon user’s permission, but without authorization by Amazon.”

This distinction could reshape the legal foundation for AI commerce tools. User permission does not substitute for platform authorization when AI agents access third-party services autonomously.

Amazon generated $68.6 billion in advertising revenue in 2025. The company argues AI agents like Comet threaten this income by automating purchases and bypassing the ad-driven shopping experience Amazon spent decades building.

Perplexity, valued at $20 billion after raising $200 million in September 2025, countered that users themselves access Amazon’s systems, not the AI agent directly. The company maintains that federal law does not bar access to publicly available websites.

“We believe users have the right to choose their own AI,” a Perplexity spokesperson said. “Perplexity will keep fighting for that right.”

Amazon said it warned Perplexity at least five times starting in November 2024 to stop the practice. The retailer implemented technical barriers in August 2025, but Perplexity released a software update within 24 hours to circumvent the blocks.

The case represents an early test of agentic commerce, where AI assistants browse, compare and buy products for consumers. Perplexity has 45 million monthly active users and generated $148 million in annual recurring revenue.

Widespread adoption of AI shopping agents could disrupt the $350 billion U.S. digital advertising market, where retailers pay for prominent placement in search results and social media feeds.

Read more: Court rules Perplexity’s AI bots can stay on Amazon