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AI startup Perplexity has reacted strongly against a cease-and-desist notice from Amazon. The warning requires the firm to block its Comet browser’s AI agent from making purchases on Amazon’s platform on behalf of users. The company termed Amazon’s move an attempt at ‘stifling innovation and user choice’ and framed the dispute as a broader clash over who controls the future of AI assistants.
In a strongly worded blog post titled ‘Bullying is Not Innovation,’ Perplexity accused Amazon of ‘using legal threats and intimidation to block innovation and make life worse for people.’ The company said the notice marks Amazon’s ‘first legal salvo against an AI company’ and a worrying signal for user rights in the age of autonomous agents.
Amazon earlier confirmed the legal notice, stating that it has repeatedly asked Perplexity to remove Amazon from the AI-powered shopping feature on Comet. The e-commerce giant said it made the demand because the service was causing a ‘significantly degraded shopping and customer service experience.’
In a statement, Amazon stated, “Third-party apps purchasing on behalf of consumers should do so in a transparent manner and respect a business’s decision whether to participate.” The company continues to maintain that automated buying tools, such as Comet, undermine the integrity of the user experience on its platform.
Perplexity’s Comet browser allows users to delegate online shopping to an AI assistant that can compare products and execute purchases using credentials stored locally on the user’s device. The company insists that it doesn’t store or access user data on its servers.
“Easier shopping means more transactions and happier customers. But Amazon doesn’t care, it’s far more interested in serving you ads,” said Perplexity. What Amazon truly cares about is protecting this ad-driven revenue model.
Also Read: Amazon Threatens Perplexity With Legal Action Over Agentic AI Shopping Tool
This legal battle highlights a fault line that is becoming increasingly common in the tech industry. It highlights the tension between established platforms that want to control user interactions and startups.
Perplexity warned that Amazon’s stance ‘threatens the rights of users to choose their own AI tools,’ and vowed not to ‘be intimidated.’
Calling its AI assistant ‘an agent of the user,’ the company framed the conflict as a test of whether AI technology will empower individuals or be ‘turned into another tool for corporate control.’
