{"id":117966,"date":"2026-03-10T17:20:54","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T17:20:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2026\/03\/10\/amazon-wins-preliminary-injunction-against-perplexitys-comet\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T17:22:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T17:22:11","slug":"amazon-wins-preliminary-injunction-against-perplexitys-comet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2026\/03\/10\/amazon-wins-preliminary-injunction-against-perplexitys-comet\/","title":{"rendered":"Amazon Wins Preliminary Injunction Against Perplexity\u2019s Comet"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A federal decide has granted Amazon a preliminary injunction barring Perplexity AI from utilizing its Comet browser<\/a> brokers to entry password-protected Amazon accounts and methods.<\/p>\n

U.S. District Decide Maxine M. Chesney issued the order<\/a> in San Francisco federal courtroom, discovering that Amazon is prone to succeed on the deserves of its claims. The preliminary injunction additionally bars Perplexity from creating or utilizing accounts for the aim of AI agent entry and orders the corporate to destroy Amazon information it collected via Comet.<\/p>\n

Amazon sued Perplexity in November<\/a>, alleging the startup dedicated laptop fraud by disguising Comet as an ordinary Chrome browser and refusing to establish it as an AI agent whereas making purchases.<\/p>\n

What The Courtroom Ordered<\/h2>\n

The preliminary injunction bars Perplexity from utilizing Comet or another AI agent to entry password-protected elements of Amazon\u2019s methods.<\/p>\n

Within the order, Decide Chesney wrote that Amazon offered \u201csturdy proof\u201d that Perplexity, via its Comet browser, accessed Amazon consumer accounts \u201cwith the Amazon consumer\u2019s permission however with out authorization by Amazon.\u201d<\/p>\n

The courtroom handled consumer consent and platform authorization as two separate necessities at this stage of the case. A consumer giving Comet their Amazon login credentials didn\u2019t mechanically give Comet the precise to make use of them on Amazon\u2019s platform.<\/p>\n

Chesney discovered Amazon glad all 4 authorized necessities for a preliminary injunction, together with that Amazon would endure irreparable hurt with out one. The decide wrote that \u201cPerplexity has made clear that, within the absence of the reduction requested, it is going to proceed to interact within the above-referenced challenged conduct.\u201d<\/p>\n

The courtroom denied Perplexity\u2019s request for a keep pending attraction however granted a 7-day administrative keep from March 9 so the corporate can search a keep from the Ninth Circuit. The courtroom additionally denied a bond requirement.<\/p>\n

Amazon\u2019s Response<\/h2>\n

Amazon spokesperson Lara Hendrickson informed Bloomberg<\/a> the preliminary injunction \u201cwill forestall Perplexity\u2019s unauthorized entry to the Amazon retailer and is a vital step in sustaining a trusted purchasing expertise for Amazon clients.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amazon has maintained all through the case that third-party brokers should establish themselves and function with the platform\u2019s consent. In a statement alongside the lawsuit<\/a>, the corporate objected to Comet providing a \u201cconsiderably degraded purchasing and customer support expertise.\u201d CEO Andy Jassy said on an earnings call<\/a> that Amazon anticipated to accomplice with third-party brokers over time, however by itself phrases.<\/p>\n

Background<\/h2>\n

Amazon despatched Perplexity a cease-and-desist letter<\/a> in October, demanding the corporate cease disguising Comet as a Chrome browser and transparently establish its AI brokers when working on Amazon.<\/p>\n

Perplexity responded with a weblog put up titled \u201cBullying is not innovation,\u201d<\/a> arguing that Comet acts on behalf of customers who’ve granted it entry to their very own accounts. The corporate\u2019s place was {that a} consumer agent inherits the consumer\u2019s permissions. The courtroom\u2019s ruling rejects that argument, a minimum of at this preliminary stage.<\/p>\n

Amazon filed its lawsuit in November below the federal Pc Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) and California\u2019s Complete Pc Knowledge Entry and Fraud Act. The grievance alleged Perplexity accessed protected computer systems with out authorization, put buyer information in danger, and degraded the purchasing expertise.<\/p>\n

Perplexity\u2019s authorized response argued that Comet solely automates actions the shopper directs, like including gadgets to a cart or finishing a checkout. The corporate in contrast Amazon\u2019s claims to a platform making an attempt to cease customers from hiring assistants to behave on their behalf.<\/p>\n

Why This Issues<\/h2>\n

The ruling affords an early take a look at how a federal courtroom could deal with AI brokers that entry a consumer\u2019s authenticated account on a third-party platform with out that platform\u2019s consent.<\/p>\n

The query on the heart of this case goes past Amazon and Perplexity. OpenAI\u2019s ChatGPT launched checkout options earlier this 12 months. Google, Microsoft, and Shopify are all constructing or enabling agentic commerce instruments. Each a kind of merchandise will ultimately have to work together with platforms that will not need them there.<\/p>\n

The courtroom\u2019s therapy of consumer permission and platform authorization as separate authorized necessities at this preliminary stage offers firms new language to quote in future disputes. If the reasoning holds via trial, AI brokers that entry logged-in accounts may need permission from each the consumer and the platform proprietor, not the consumer alone.<\/p>\n

Safety can also be a part of the image. Brave published details<\/a> final August a few immediate injection vulnerability in Comet that allowed attackers to entry information in different open browser tabs. Amazon cited Comet\u2019s safety weaknesses in its grievance as proof of hurt to clients.<\/p>\n

A recent SEJ analysis<\/a> famous that when AI browsers like Comet go to web sites on a consumer\u2019s behalf, the site visitors is commonly indistinguishable from a daily Chromium browser go to. That creates measurement issues for entrepreneurs and raises questions on whether or not platforms may even detect when an agent is appearing on their website.<\/p>\n

Trying Forward<\/h2>\n

The preliminary injunction stands whereas the total case proceeds. Perplexity has till March 16 to hunt a keep from the Ninth Circuit earlier than the order takes impact.<\/p>\n

The broader lawsuit will take a look at whether or not the CFAA applies to AI brokers appearing at a consumer\u2019s course on third-party platforms. How the courtroom in the end guidelines may form how each agentic commerce product interacts with web sites that haven\u2019t opted into agent entry.<\/p>\n

Perplexity has not publicly commented on the injunction.<\/p>\n\n

Featured Picture: Koshiro Ok\/Shutterstock<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n