Major tech corporations experience restrictions on their AI bots by Amazon, amidst an intensifying battle over commerce.
In a move to protect its vast e-commerce data, Amazon has expanded its restrictions against artificial intelligence (AI) companies scraping data from its marketplace. This latest update comes after the addition of AI bots from Meta (Facebook), Google, Huawei, TikTok, Mistral, Ai2, Webz.io, Meta, Google, Huawei, Mistral, Anthropic, and Perplexity to its robots.txt file in August 2025.
This move contrasts with Shopify's approach, which has opted for warning language in merchants' robots.txt files rather than outright blocking specific companies. Amazon's updated code now explicitly prohibits these companies from accessing its e-commerce data and scraping data from the world's largest online marketplace.
Amazon's decision to block AI agents reflects concerns about losing customer relationships to intermediary services that could reduce the platform's ability to collect first-party data and monetize customer interactions through advertising and personalized experiences. The company generates revenue through sponsored product listings, display advertisements, and video content across its ecosystem, amounting to a $56 billion advertising business.
Third-party AI tools that bypass Amazon's storefront could potentially undermine both website traffic and advertising revenue streams. The effectiveness of robots.txt restrictions depends entirely on voluntary cooperation from AI companies.
In addition to these measures, Amazon is also developing its own artificial intelligence shopping tools. Rufus, a chatbot currently testing advertising features, is one such example. The company operates as a walled garden by restricting third-party access to its customer data while developing internal tools that compete with external services.
Amazon's intensified campaign to block AI companies from accessing its e-commerce platform is part of a broader battle over AI access to e-commerce data, reflecting deeper questions about the future of online shopping and advertising. The company is also testing a "buy-for-me" feature that can purchase items from third-party websites for customers, positioning Amazon to control how AI integrates with shopping on its platform.
This development comes at a time when Amazon's advertising business faces potential disruption if AI agents bypass Amazon's storefront and reduce the platform's ability to monetize customer discovery and purchase decisions. The battle over AI access to e-commerce data is shaping up to be a significant factor in the future of online shopping and advertising.
Read also:
- Understanding Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis: Key Facts
- Stopping Osteoporosis Treatment: Timeline Considerations
- Trump's Policies: Tariffs, AI, Surveillance, and Possible Martial Law
- Expanded Community Health Involvement by CK Birla Hospitals, Jaipur, Maintained Through Consistent Outreach Programs Across Rajasthan
