Amazon blocks Meta's AI agent from shopping on its site
Amazon has blocked Meta Platforms' new AI agent, Muse, from making purchases on its online store, citing security and transparency concerns. The move escalates a dispute over the role of AI in online shopping and customer data.
US online retail giant Amazon has blocked Meta Platforms' new AI agent, Muse, from operating on its shopping site. The action follows Meta's refusal to remove the bot, according to a Bloomberg report on Monday. The dispute centers on who controls the online shopping experience and customer relationships when AI agents make purchases on behalf of consumers.
Meta introduced its personal AI agent, Muse, for everyday tasks earlier this month. It is designed for ease of use and can handle activities such as email processing and online orders. However, Amazon prohibits third-party automated tools from making purchases on its website.
Amazon argues that Meta did not disclose that Muse would access the Amazon marketplace. The AI agent also fails to identify itself during browsing and appears to collect and store customer data, posing data protection and security risks, according to Amazon. While Muse does not access user passwords or payment methods, it can access customer pages and order history with user permission. Amazon contends that the lack of identification means an undisclosed third party is accessing customer accounts and processing transactions and sensitive data without the retailer's knowledge or consent.
"We think it’s pretty self-evident that third-party applications that make purchases on behalf of customers from other businesses should be transparent and respect the decisions of service providers about whether they are allowed to participate," Amazon spokeswoman Lara Hendrickson stated. She added that a requirement for user opt-in is common for services like food delivery apps and online travel agencies, and that agentic applications like Muse are subject to the same obligations.
While Amazon develops its own automated shopping tools, it is concurrently seeking to prevent third-party AI agents from making independent purchases. This strategy is partly driven by Amazon's business model, which relies on advertising and sponsored product placements. Widespread use of AI agents could bypass these placements, impacting Amazon's significant advertising revenue, which exceeded $68 billion last year. Furthermore, AI agents might shop on competing e-commerce platforms, potentially diverting sales away from Amazon.