A federal court has granted Amazon a temporary injunction against Perplexity's Comet browser, halting its AI shopping agent from making purchases on Amazon's marketplace. The San Francisco judge ruled that Perplexity must stop accessing Amazon's password-protected systems and destroy any collected data within a week unless it appeals.

District Judge Maxine Chesney found that while Comet operates with user permission, it lacks Amazon's authorization to access account information. Amazon's cease-and-desist letter from November accused Perplexity of violating terms of service by using the AI agent to complete purchases. The preliminary block aims to protect Amazon's shopping ecosystem from unauthorized automated access.

Perplexity maintains it's fighting for user choice in AI tools, but Amazon argues the unauthorized access undermines customer trust. This legal battle highlights growing tensions between e-commerce platforms and AI companies seeking to automate shopping experiences. The case will continue as both sides prepare for a full hearing on the broader dispute.