Amazon has filed a lawsuit against Perplexity AI, claiming the startup’s autonomous shopping tool accessed private customer accounts and made purchases disguised as human activity. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, marks the latest clash between major tech players over the growing use of “agentic” AI systems in online commerce, according to Reuters.
In the filing, Amazon alleged that Perplexity’s Comet AI browser agent posed “serious security risks” by interacting with the Amazon Store as if it were a human user. The company said the tool bypassed technical safeguards and continued operating despite multiple cease-and-desist requests. “That Perplexity’s trespass involves code rather than a lockpick makes it no less unlawful,” the complaint stated.
Perplexity pushes back, calling Amazon’s move intimidation
Perplexity has denied any wrongdoing and described Amazon’s lawsuit as an attempt to suppress competition. The startup said that all user credentials remain stored locally on customer devices, not on its servers, and that Comet AI simply helps users compare products and automate purchases.
“Amazon doesn’t care about easier shopping — it cares about protecting its ad business,” Perplexity wrote in a blog post, accusing the retail giant of “bullying smaller innovators through legal threats.” The company also said Amazon’s stance threatens user choice and the future of AI assistants.
Broader debate on how far autonomous AI can go
The dispute underscores a larger question now facing the tech industry: how much freedom should AI agents have to navigate websites and act on behalf of users? While Amazon argues that third-party automation tools must respect security boundaries, Perplexity and other AI startups see autonomy as the next step in digital convenience.
Amazon itself is developing similar tools, including “Buy For Me”, which enables automated shopping across brands, and “Rufus”, an AI assistant designed to guide purchases within its ecosystem.
As both sides double down, the outcome of this lawsuit could set a precedent for how AI agents operate in commercial environments — and how far they can go before crossing legal and ethical lines.
![Terry Rozier pleads not guilty to sports betting charges By Reuters December 8, 20257:45 PM GMT-4Updated 3 hours ago Item 1 of 3 Terry Rozier, a guard with the NBA's Miami Heat, departs the Brooklyn Federal courthouse, after entering a plea in a criminal case alleging he shared non-public information with sports bettors ahead of games, in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., December 8, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz [1/3]Terry Rozier, a guard with the NBA's Miami Heat, departs the Brooklyn Federal courthouse, after entering a plea in a criminal case alleging he shared non-public information with sports bettors ahead of games, in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., December 8, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab December 8 - Facing federal wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges for his alleged role in an illegal sports gambling scheme, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier pleaded not guilty in federal court Monday in New York. Rozier, 31, was released on a $3 million bond. Rozier's co-defendant, Deniro Laster, also appeared in court and pleaded not guilty. He was released on $50,000 bond. He and Rozier were arrested in October in connection with a federal investigation into illicit gambling. Advertisement · Scroll to continue In an indictment from the U.S. Justice Department, Rozier was accused of tipping off Laster that he planned to leave a game for the Charlotte Hornets game early by feigning an injury. Laster and other conspirators then used that knowledge to "place and direct more than $200,000 in wagers predicting Rozier's ‘under' statistics (i.e., that Rozier would underperform)." The NBA had previously investigated suspicious prop bets placed on Rozier's unders in 2023 but did not find evidence he had violated league rules. The league placed Rozier on leave following the indictment and his arrest. An investigation into Rozier has been underway since a March 23, 2023, game when Rozier played for the Hornets. Sportsbooks reported unusual betting activities on prop bets -- all on the under -- in a game Rozier left after 10 minutes, claiming a foot injury. Advertisement · Scroll to continue The indictment alleges Rozier made it known to associates that he would depart the game early, and more than $200,000 was wagered on the under, with a share of the winnings given to Rozier. With the next status update on the case set for March 3, Rozier's lawyer, Jim Trusty, told reporters he plans to file a motion for dismissal Tuesday. Evan Corcoran, Laster's lawyer, said he would likely do the same for his client. Trusty went on to say that he will meet with the NBA in an arbitration hearing on Dec. 17, per The Athletic, to contest that Rozier's leave is unpaid. The guard was placed on unpaid leave by the league one week after he was arrested, which caused the National Basketball Players Association to file a grievance with the league. Rozier entered the league as a first-round draft pick of the Boston Celtics in 2015. He is playing this season on the final year of a four-year, $96.3 million deal he signed with the Hornets and has $160.4 million in career earnings, according to Spotrac.](https://arbitrationmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/terry-rozier-sports-150x150.avif)