Amazon Files Federal Suit Against Perplexity Over Comet Shopping Agent

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

Amazon.com Inc. has initiated litigation in a San Francisco federal court against Perplexity AI Inc., alleging the startup’s AI shopping assistant, Comet, has been executing purchases on Amazon without adequate disclosure. The complaint accuses Perplexity of computer fraud and breaching Amazon’s terms of service.

The lawsuit follows a cease-and-desist notice Amazon says it issued last week after concluding Perplexity sidestepped security measures and continued to allow Comet to act as an agent on its site. Amazon contends this behaviour undermines the quality of the shopping experience and creates potential privacy exposures for customers.

Perplexity, which is valued at about $20 billion, pushed back, branding Amazon’s move as heavy-handed and defending consumers’ ability to pick AI assistants to transact on their behalf. The startup maintains that Comet only operates at users’ direction and that it does not harvest or train on Amazon’s proprietary data.

Observers say the dispute sits at the centre of a larger policy and legal conversation about agentic AI—systems capable of carrying out online tasks such as purchasing goods, drafting communications or conducting research rather than merely producing text. Major technology firms including OpenAI, Google and Amazon are experimenting with similar agents, but regulators and courts have yet to settle the legal boundaries.

Amazon pointed out its own in-house shopping features, like "Buy For Me" and "Rufus," while stressing that third-party applications must comply with platform rules. Legal and industry analysts warn the case could establish important precedent on how autonomous agents may interact with services built by other companies.

Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas has framed the issue as one of user choice and parity—arguing AI assistants should be permitted to act on users’ behalf in the same way humans can. Amazon, however, emphasises that safeguarding a consistent customer experience and protecting the integrity of its advertising ecosystem are central concerns.

Technology companies, regulators and startups are monitoring the proceedings closely, noting that the court’s decision could influence the development and deployment of AI-driven online services worldwide.