Amazon has blocked Meta's new AI shopping agent, Muse, from buying on Amazon.com. Protecting customers' accounts, or shutting out an assistant shoppers chose?
Muse launched on 8 September and quickly topped the app charts. Amazon says Meta never asked permission, the agent doesn't identify itself while browsing and it appears to store customers' login details; Meta has said Muse can't see passwords or payment methods. Walmart and Target are reportedly working more openly with AI shopping agents.
What happened
Amazon has blocked Muse, Meta's new AI personal agent, from shopping on Amazon.com, starting on the night of Sunday 20 September, less than two weeks after Muse launched and became the top free app. Users now see a message saying unauthorised AI agents break Amazon's Conditions of Use. Amazon says Meta never got permission, Muse doesn't identify itself when it browses, and it captures customers' login details. Meta has said Muse has no visibility into passwords or payment methods.
Why people disagree
Amazon's defenders say a shop should decide which software acts inside its customers' accounts, and an agent that doesn't identify itself and handles logins is a security and customer-service risk. Critics say customers chose to let their own assistant shop for them, and that the block protects Amazon's grip on the customer relationship, and its own AI ambitions, while rivals such as Walmart and Target are working with agents.
What's still unclear
Whether security or competition is the main motive, whether Meta changes Muse to identify itself or challenges the block, whether regulators see blocking agents as anti-competitive, and whether shoppers will trust AI agents to buy for them at all.
Sources
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