What was the initial ruling against Perplexity AI?

A U.S. District Judge granted Amazon's request for a preliminary order blocking Perplexity AI's agents from accessing Amazon's platform.

Why did Amazon sue Perplexity AI?

Amazon sued Perplexity AI, accusing it of covertly accessing private Amazon customer accounts through its AI agent and disguising automated activity as human browsing.

What is the current status of the ruling against Perplexity AI?

A U.S. appeals court has put the ruling on hold while it considers Perplexity's request for a longer-term pause through its appeal.

Home / Technology / AI Shopping Tool Dispute: Court Halts Amazon Block

AI Shopping Tool Dispute: Court Halts Amazon Block

18 Mar

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Summary

A U.S. appeals court has paused a ruling blocking Perplexity AI's tool.
Amazon had sued Perplexity AI for allegedly misusing customer accounts.
The appeals court will consider Perplexity's longer-term request to continue.

AI Shopping Tool Dispute: Court Halts Amazon Block

A U.S. appeals court has temporarily halted a ruling that prevented Perplexity AI from utilizing its AI shopping tool on Amazon's e-commerce platform. This decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals occurred on Monday, March 17, 2026. The court is now considering Perplexity's request for an extended pause to allow for its full appeal against the district court's initial order.

Amazon filed a lawsuit against Perplexity in November 2025, alleging that the AI startup's "agentic" shopping tool, through its Comet browser, improperly accessed private Amazon customer accounts. Amazon claimed that Perplexity disguised automated activity as human browsing and posed security risks to customer data. Perplexity has contested the lawsuit, calling it an attempt to stifle competition and arguing that its AI agents are necessary to navigate Amazon's extensive advertising.