Ninth Circuit to Hear Amazon, Perplexity AI Agent Access Case

Image credit: Search Engine Journal

SEATTLE — A federal appeals court will hear arguments next month in a legal dispute between Amazon and Perplexity over whether AI agents acting on behalf of users constitute unauthorized access under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear oral arguments on June 11, 2026, in a case that could establish a significant precedent for how AI agents interact with websites.

The dispute began after Amazon sued Perplexity over its Comet browser, an AI-powered tool designed to assist users with online shopping on Amazon’s platform under their authorization.

On March 10, 2026, a federal judge in the Northern District of California, Maxine Chesney, issued a preliminary injunction that blocked Comet from accessing Amazon’s logged-in pages.

However, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals paused the injunction approximately one week later, signaling a potential for Perplexity’s appeal to succeed.

Perplexity filed its appellate brief on May 8, 2026, contending that the CFAA is a “fundamental misfit” for AI agents that operate with user authorization.

The company argued that the law, designed to combat hacking, does not apply to situations where users explicitly grant permission for AI tools to act on their behalf.

Legal experts suggest the Ninth Circuit’s decision will be closely watched by technology companies and developers, as it could define the boundaries of AI agent functionality and website interaction.

Organizations like Mozilla and the Electronic Frontier Foundation have also expressed interest in the case’s outcome, citing its potential impact on user agency and the future of AI-driven browsing experiences.

The ruling is expected to clarify the legal framework surrounding AI access to online platforms, particularly concerning the interpretation of “unauthorized access” within the CFAA.

Source: Search Engine Journal