Escalating the growing dispute about how autonomous AI agents should interact with online platforms, Amazon has blocked Meta’s newly launched personal AI assistant, Muse, from accessing its retail marketplace. Users attempting to make purchases on Amazon through Muse are reportedly shown a notice stating that continued access by an unauthorized AI agent violates Amazon’s Conditions of Use.
Amazon took the step after Meta declined requests to exclude the e-commerce platform from Muse’s autonomous browsing ecosystem.
Amazon’s concerns stem from issues including account security, the absence of prior merchant consent and the fact that Muse does not identify itself as an AI agent when browsing the site.
An Amazon spokesperson said third-party applications making purchases on behalf of customers should operate openly and respect service providers’ decisions on whether they want to participate.
Meta, for its part said that Muse does not have visibility into users’ passwords or payment information. The company previously described Muse as operating through a secure virtual machine under the user’s permission, with credentials stored securely so the assistant can use them without directly accessing or viewing them.
Meta launched Muse in early September as a personal AI assistant designed to handle multi-step tasks across services including email, calendars, payments and shopping. Meta had not immediately responded to requests for comment on Amazon’s decision.
