AI Browser War: Amazon Demands Perplexity’s Comet AI Stop Automated Purchasing

According to Bloomberg, Amazon has issued a formal notice to AI startup Perplexity demanding that its Comet browser stop automated purchasing on Amazon’s e-commerce platform through AI-driven agents. The move sparked a backlash from Perplexity, which called Amazon’s demand bullying and a broader threat to internet users’ freedom.

Amazon contends that Comet’s AI agent functionality violates its Terms of Service, specifically prohibiting “the use of robots or similar data-gathering tools” and “the downloading or copying of account information for the benefit of any third party.” In an official blog post, Amazon argued that third‑party apps with AI agent capabilities should operate transparently and respect the platform owner’s right to opt out, claiming Comet disrupted both shopping and customer service.

Perplexity replied that user agents act for the user and with explicit consent, and therefore should not be conflated with automated data-harvesting systems. The dispute fits into a longer history, with reports that Perplexity had paused automated purchasing in November 2024, later re‑enabled it, and that Cloudflare and Reddit have also raised concerns or taken action against the company.