Amazon has issued a legal warning to AI search company Perplexity, demanding the removal of its AI-powered shopping assistant, Comet, from Amazon’s online marketplace.

The development was confirmed by both companies on Tuesday and marks a new point of tension between major e-commerce platforms and emerging AI service providers.

According to Perplexity, Amazon alleges that Comet violates its terms of service by operating on the platform without identifying itself as an automated agent.

Amazon insists that third-party automated tools must disclose their status when interacting with its store.

Perplexity revealed the exchange in a statement titled “Bullying is Not Innovation,” accusing the e-commerce giant of attempting to stifle competition and control how users shop online.

“This week, Perplexity received an aggressive legal threat from Amazon, demanding we prohibit Comet users from using their AI assistants on Amazon.

This is Amazon’s first legal salvo against an AI company, and it is a threat to all internet users,” Perplexity stated.

Perplexity argues that Comet does not need to identify itself because it operates under the direct instruction of a human user, and therefore should be treated as a human browsing the site.

Amazon disputes this interpretation, noting that many other services acting on behalf of customers — such as food delivery apps, couriers, and travel booking platforms — identify themselves when connecting with vendors.

Amazon indicates that transparency is essential and suggests that Perplexity could simply disclose Comet’s status and continue operating.

However, analysts point out that compliance could also allow Amazon to block the AI assistant entirely, particularly as Amazon has introduced its own shopping bot, Rufus.

Perplexity claims Amazon’s real motive is commercial — arguing that bots could reduce the effectiveness of product placement and sponsored advertising strategies, since automated assistants are less likely to be influenced by promotional nudges.

This is not the first time Perplexity has come under scrutiny. Earlier this year, cybersecurity firm Cloudflare accused the company of scraping website content while bypassing bot-blocking measures.

The debate raised broader questions about how AI agents should interact with publicly available data online.

The dispute highlights an emerging challenge in the digital marketplace: as AI-driven “agentic browsing” grows, companies will need clearer rules on whether automated systems have the same access rights as human users.

For now, Amazon is signaling a firm position — that AI agents must identify themselves and that platforms retain the right to decide whether to allow them at all.

Source: Techcrunch