A US appeals court has lifted a temporary ban on Perplexity AI’s shopping agent operating on Amazon’s platform, ruling that Amazon is unlikely to prove a violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). The Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals made the decision this week, marking one of the first appellate rulings on AI agents acting on users’ behalf online, according to medianama.com.
The case centered on Perplexity’s Comet browser, which features an AI assistant capable of browsing websites and completing shopping tasks directed by users. Amazon argued that the AI assistant unlawfully accessed its systems and users’ password-protected accounts without permission, alleging security risks from the tool’s activity masking as ordinary web browsing. The court found that Amazon’s users, not Perplexity, accessed Amazon’s platform through the AI assistant, meaning Perplexity did not ‘access’ Amazon’s computers under the CFAA definition. The court vacated the preliminary injunction granted by a lower court and remanded the case for further proceedings.
This ruling sets a significant precedent for AI tools that act autonomously on behalf of users by clarifying legal boundaries around computer access. It addresses concerns about AI agents interacting with online platforms, particularly regarding user consent and security. The decision may influence how companies and developers design AI assistants that perform tasks like shopping or browsing, balancing innovation with platform protections. It also highlights the evolving legal landscape as courts grapple with emerging AI technologies.
The case will continue in the lower court following the appellate ruling, with further proceedings expected to clarify the scope of AI agents’ lawful interactions with online platforms. The ruling was issued by the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals this week, providing a key judicial interpretation of the CFAA in the context of AI technology.
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