Amazon blocks Meta’s Muse agent over credential risks and lack of identification
Amazon blocked Meta’s shopping agent, Muse, on September 20, 2026, citing unauthorized access and potential credential risks. Amazon claims Muse does not identify itself when browsing and may capture or store customer credentials, violating its Conditions of Use. The company argues Meta failed to disclose Muse’s access to its store and that the agent operates covertly, unlike Amazon’s own agents…
Key points
- Amazon blocked Meta’s Muse agent on September 20, 2026, citing unauthorized access and credential risks
- Meta’s Muse lacks a user agent string, so Amazon’s robots.txt cannot block it
- Ninth Circuit ruled in August 2026 that shoppers—not vendors—are legally accessing websites
The block comes after a U.S. appeals court weakened Amazon’s legal leverage against AI agents in August 2026. The Ninth Circuit ruled that shoppers—not the software vendors—are the ones accessing websites, making it harder for Amazon to enforce the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) against agents like Muse. Amazon’s robots.txt file does not block Muse, as the agent lacks a user agent string. Meta’s own documentation states Muse runs on a dedicated cloud-based Linux VM, and credentials are stored locally, not in centralized Meta infrastructure. Amazon has not provided evidence to support its credential claim, leaving the dispute unresolved.
The story so far
5 episodes →- Amazon blocks Meta’s Muse agent over credential risks and lack of identificationthis story
Amazon Blocked Meta’s Muse, And Robots.txt Had Nothing To Say via @sejournal, @slobodanmanic
Search Engine Journal · 29 September 2026
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This text was published by Search Engine Journal and written by Slobodan Manic. It is reproduced here with attribution so you can read it in full; the rights remain with the publisher. Read it at the source ↗
Coverage and discussion
2sources- All the latest news on Meta’s cute, creepy Muse AI agentPress · The Verge AI ·
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