Amazon sued Perplexity over Comet, its AI browser assistant, arguing that the tool accessed Amazon without authorization and harmed the shopping experience. On August 4, 2026, the Ninth Circuit vacated a preliminary injunction that had restricted Comet, concluding that Amazon was unlikely to prove the required statutory access element on the record before the court. That was not a final ruling that Comet is lawful in every circumstance: Amazon can still regulate access through its private terms of service and technical controls.
What does Comet do on Amazon?
Comet is a browser that includes an AI Assistant. At a user’s direction, the Assistant can navigate Amazon.com to find products and carry out shopping tasks. The Ninth Circuit described a workflow in which screenshots from the user’s computer are sent to Perplexity’s servers, and instructions are returned to guide navigation.
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That setup is central to the dispute. The user gives the task, but an AI intermediary helps perform actions through the shopping site. The case therefore raises questions beyond whether an automated tool can click through a website: it concerns who controls the shopping interface and how responsibility is divided among the customer, the AI provider and the retailer.
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Amazon said Comet was an unauthorized and non-transparent agent that degraded shopping and customer service. It said it had repeatedly asked Perplexity to remove Amazon from the Comet experience. Amazon’s position is that third-party purchasing applications should operate openly and respect a service provider’s decision whether to participate.
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In November 2025, Amazon sued under the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) and California’s Comprehensive Computer Data Access and Fraud Act (CDAFA), and sought a preliminary injunction. Amazon’s legal theory was that Comet’s conduct amounted to unauthorized access; its public and legal arguments also emphasized service quality, security and account integrity.
What did Amazon allege about Comet?
These points are allegations made by Amazon in its October 31, 2025 cease-and-desist letter, not findings that the Ninth Circuit established as fact:
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- Concealed identity: Amazon alleged that Comet presented itself as Google Chrome rather than transparently identifying its agent role.
- Circumvention: Amazon said it restricted Comet after identifying its activity in early August 2025, and alleged that a new Comet version circumvented that measure within 24 hours.
- Account activity without an agreement: Amazon alleged that Comet interacted with user accounts without an agreement with Amazon. Its letter also cited risks involving account information and costs for investigation and countermeasures.
- Earlier purchasing activity: Amazon’s letter said that in November 2024, “Buy with Pro” used a small number of Perplexity-managed Amazon and Prime accounts to place orders, and that Perplexity agreed to stop unless the companies reached terms. This is Amazon’s account of those events.
Amazon’s stated concern was not only whether the tool could complete a purchase. Its arguments implicated password-protected accounts, payment details, order histories and returns, as well as the retailer’s ability to manage recommendations, advertising, customer service and the overall shopping experience.
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How did the case develop?
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| November 2024 | Amazon’s later letter said Perplexity’s “Buy with Pro” used a small number of Perplexity-managed Amazon and Prime accounts to place orders, and that Perplexity agreed to stop unless the companies reached terms. |
| Early August 2025 | Amazon said it identified Comet’s agent activity, told Perplexity that agents needed to act transparently under Amazon’s Conditions of Use and Agent Terms, and restricted Comet. Amazon alleged a new version circumvented the measure within 24 hours. |
| September 2025 | Amazon’s letter said its leaders raised the issue again and accused Comet of evasion, including appearing as Google Chrome. |
| October 31, 2025 | Amazon sent a cease-and-desist letter demanding transparent identification and an end to evasion. It set a response deadline of 5:00 p.m. PT on November 3. |
| November 4, 2025 | Amazon published a statement saying it had repeatedly requested that Perplexity remove Amazon from Comet. |
| November 2025 | Amazon filed suit under the CFAA and CDAFA and sought a preliminary injunction. |
| March 2026 | The district court granted a preliminary injunction after finding Amazon had shown likely success and irreparable harm. The order was stayed during appellate proceedings. |
| August 4, 2026 | The Ninth Circuit vacated the preliminary injunction and remanded the case. |
What did the Ninth Circuit decide?
The appellate court concluded that, on the record before it, Amazon was unlikely to prove the statutory “access” element required for its CFAA and CDAFA claims. It framed the user—not Perplexity—as the person accessing Amazon’s computers, with the Assistant acting as a tool to carry out specific user-directed tasks on Amazon.com.
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The court also reasoned that an injunction on that record would needlessly burden a developing product and impair consumer choice. Its ruling vacated the preliminary injunction and sent the case back to the district court; it did not finally resolve every possible dispute between the companies or establish that every form of agent activity is lawful.
Can Amazon still block Comet or other AI agents?
Yes. The Ninth Circuit expressly said its decision did not impair Amazon’s ability to regulate access to Amazon.com through private terms of service for its users. The decision concerned the statutory access claims and the preliminary injunction on the record presented; it did not remove Amazon’s contractual or technical options for controlling access.
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- Keep your home comfortable – Control compatible smart home devices with your voice and routines triggered by built-in motion or indoor temperature sensors. Create routines to automatically turn on lights when you walk into a room, or start a fan if the inside temperature goes above your comfort zone.
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That distinction matters: a court’s view of whether conduct satisfies a computer-access statute is not the same question as whether a service’s terms permit that conduct. Nor does the appellate decision mean an agent can disregard technical restrictions or account rules in all circumstances.
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The dispute pits retailer control against consumer-directed tools. Amazon emphasized its ability to decide how third-party applications interact with its service, protect accounts and maintain the shopping and customer-service experience. The appellate court’s framing emphasized that a user may choose an AI assistant as a tool and that restricting a nascent interface can limit consumer choice.
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The practical questions remain consequential for any agent-mediated purchase: does the agent identify itself, what account information can it see, who is responsible if it takes the wrong action, and how does a retailer preserve its security and service standards while customers use outside tools? The legal result to date leaves those issues open beyond the narrow statutory access question addressed in the appeal.
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