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Perplexity AI Embroiled in Legal Tussles with Tech Titans Over Autonomous Web Browsing
10 Nov
Summary
- Perplexity AI's "answer engine" and Comet web browser face backlash from tech peers
- Amazon sues Perplexity to stop Comet's autonomous browsing on its platform
- Reddit alleges Perplexity illegally scraped billions of posts for its answers
In the rapidly evolving world of AI and technology, Perplexity AI Inc. has positioned itself as a disruptive force, championing the cause of the "open web." However, the company's innovative approach has drawn the ire of some of its tech peers, who now view Perplexity as a company non grata.
As of November 10th, 2025, Perplexity's "answer engine" and Comet web browser have become the center of a growing controversy. Amazon.com Inc. has recently sued the company, seeking to stop Comet's autonomous AI agent from browsing Amazon's online store on a customer's behalf. This move comes just a week after Reddit Inc. alleged that Perplexity, in collaboration with three data companies, was illegally circumventing controls to scrape billions of posts from the popular message board, which were then used to bolster Perplexity's answers.
The backlash against Perplexity has extended beyond legal action, with the CEO of cybersecurity firm Cloudflare Inc. going so far as to compare the company's behavior to that of "North Korean hackers," rather than a legitimate AI enterprise. This growing rift within the tech community highlights the tensions surrounding Perplexity's disruptive approach and its potential impact on the established order.
