Amazon blocks Meta's AI agent Muse over privacy

Amazon blocked Muse, the personal artificial intelligence agent launched by Meta, stopping the tool from making purchases on its retail site on behalf of customers. In statements to GeekWire, Amazon stated that Meta did not give notice that Muse would access the platform.

According to Amazon, the agent does not identify itself when browsing and appears to capture and store customer credentials. The retailer stated that this behavior could create privacy and security risks. Users attempting to shop via Muse now receive a notice stating that access by an unauthorized AI agent violates the platform's terms of service.

In a statement, Amazon said companies that purchase on behalf of customers must operate transparently and respect service providers. It compared the situation to food delivery apps that partner with restaurants and online travel agencies that coordinate with airlines. Amazon added that it is in direct talks with Meta, but declined to comment on whether it plans to pursue legal action.

When Meta launched Muse on September 8, it said the platform cannot see passwords or payment methods and stores credentials securely. Meta, which made the agent available only in the United States, said the tool runs on a protected virtual machine and asks users to confirm sensitive actions before completing purchases.