Amazon has achieved a short-term legal victory in its ongoing dispute with Perplexity concerning the utilization of AI-driven shopping bots. Bloomberg reported that a federal court in San Francisco has issued a temporary order requiring Perplexity to halt the use of its Comet web browser’s AI agent for making purchases on Amazon's platform. The AI firm is given one week to file an appeal, after which it will be required to cease accessing any password-protected sections of Amazon’s systems and delete its stored data as the legal battle continues.
“Amazon has presented compelling evidence demonstrating that Perplexity, via its Comet browser, accesses user accounts—albeit with user consent—but without explicit authorization from Amazon itself,” stated District Judge Maxine Chesney in her ruling, which imposed the temporary restriction.
“The preliminary injunction serves to prevent Perplexity’s unauthorized access to the Amazon store, and it represents a critical measure in preserving a secure and trustworthy shopping environment for Amazon users,” an Amazon representative stated to Bloomberg.
In November, Amazon issued a cease-and-desist notice to Perplexity over the deployment of its AI-powered shopping bots. According to Amazon, the Comet agent’s purchasing functionality contravenes its terms of service. “Perplexity remains committed to defending the right of internet users to employ the AI tools of their choice,” a Perplexity spokesperson noted in response to this week’s ruling.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/amazon-wins-a-temporary-injunction-against-perplexitys-comet-browser-184000462.html?src=rss