Amazon v. Perplexity lawsuit: the Ninth Circuit cited the Alliance for Responsible Data Collection (ARDC) as an amicus alongside EFF, Mozilla, Digital Medusa, and EleutherAI.
The court relied on the brief’s explanation of user-directed AI browsing. In simple terms, the user accesses the website through a browser. The AI assistant helps carry out the user’s instructions. Perplexity’s servers do not directly access Amazon’s servers.
Why this matters?
- The court drew a clear line between hacking and tools acting for users.
- The court found Amazon unlikely to succeed on its CFAA and CDAFA claims at this stage.
- The injunction against Perplexity was vacated.
- The decision supports practical standards for responsible automated access.
This is a strong recognition of our work. Courts and the market need clear guidance for public web data collection, AI agents, and automated tools. ARDC helps define those standards through transparency, accountability, and responsible access.
Responsible automation needs clear rules. It should not be treated as hacking when a tool acts under user direction to access content available to the user.
🔗 Read the full decision here: https://shorturl.at/VYbNY