Amazon filed a lawsuit on November 4, 2025. It accuses Perplexity of violating terms of service by letting Comet’s AI assistant shop on behalf of users without authorization. The complaint seeks to block Comet’s shopping agent from accessing Amazon’s storefront.
Perplexity valued by investors at around 20 billion dollars this year. The case may set a major precedent. It could influence how agentic AI tools interact with large platforms in future.
What Amazon Alleges
The filing claims that Comet disguises its AI agent as a normal browser (using a Chrome user-agent string). That hides automated activity. According to Amazon, this violates computer fraud laws and breaches user consent and platform rules.
Amazon also argues that Comet’s automation degrades user experience. It claims the AI tool bypasses service protections. Amazon says the startup ignored repeated cease-and-desist warnings before the lawsuit.
Why This Matters to Web Publishers and E-commerce
This case shows that AI-based shopping agents are no longer just an innovation. They are now a legal flashpoint. The outcome could rewrite rules around automation, AI agents and website access.
For content publishers, e-commerce merchants, and affiliate marketers the stakes are high. If third-party AI agents are shut down or restricted, referral traffic and conversions could shift dramatically.
At the same time, narrower access means fewer players competing for those same clicks. That intensifies the importance of page visibility, listing appeal and click-through optimization.
This makes optimizing for click-through rate more critical. Titles, metadata, schema, speed and clarity decide who gets traffic. That is why many sites now focus on improving ranking by optimizing CTR.
What Online Businesses Should Do Immediately
- Review if third-party bots or agents access your site. Understand who interacts with your content.
- Ensure all policies and Terms of Service are clear about automated access and AI-agent interactions.
- Audit your site for performance, structure, metadata and schema.
- Optimize title tags and metadata to make listings more appealing for real users — and in case bots are restricted.
- Monitor referral patterns, conversion sources and attribution closely.
Anatolii Ulitovskyi, CEO at UNmiss says:
“The Amazon-Perplexity lawsuit is a wake-up call for everyone working online. As agentic AI tools push boundaries, websites must be prepared. If bots lose access or get restricted, only pages with strong structure, clear metadata and optimized listings will keep traffic. A detailed check of your site’s integrity and click-through readiness is not optional. It is fundamental for survival and growth.”