Websites are closing their doors to AI agents

OpenAI, Meta, and Google want AI agents to do everything for you. But popular services on the web aren’t letting that happen.

OpenAI, Meta, and Google want AI agents to do everything for you. But popular services on the web aren’t letting that happen.

Autonomous agents are the hottest thing in AI. OpenAI, Meta, Google, Instinct, and others promise their agents can scour the internet on your behalf, doing anything from booking a dinner reservation and cleaning out your inbox to buying new shoes. But what happens when the rest of the internet won’t play nice?

In recent weeks, users of services like Meta’s Muse, xAI’s Grok, OpenAI’s Dots, and Instinct have reported blocks preventing their AI agents from performing tasks across top websites. Yelp told TechCrunch that it only allows AI agents that pay for its data licensing program, while Delta Air Lines is preventing them from booking tickets on behalf of users. JPMorgan Chase and Charles Schwab have also confirmed that they’re blocking AI agents from accessing accounts due to security concerns. Some users say sites that previously worked with their AI agent are no longer accessible, including Cars.com and Amtrak , suggesting other companies could be quietly blocking them.

Amazon was already fighting off AI agents last year when it banned Perplexity’s agentic shopping feature and sued the AI startup , raising legal and practical questions about the future of agents on the web. At the time, Amazon claimed it “repeatedly requested” that Perplexity stop allowing its AI agents to shop on its website, adding that third-party companies that purchase items on behalf of customers “should operate openly and respect service provider decisions whether or not to participate.”

Perplexity responded by pointing out that Amazon doesn’t want AI agents roaming its platform because it won’t get as many human eyeballs in front of its ads — which is an actual issue for the ecommerce giant. The AI startup likened its AI agent to an extension of the user, arguing that Amazon “does not believe in your right to hire labor, to have an assistant or an employee acting on your behalf.” While a judge later ordered Perplexity to stop its AI agents from shopping on its website, an appeals court overturned this ruling in August . Amazon has since filed an amended complaint .

Even if websites aren’t banning AI agents outright, agents may still be clashing with anti-bot systems

This ongoing legal battle didn’t stop OpenAI, Meta, and Google from rolling out agents of their own. But they’re dealing with the same problems as Perplexity. Muse, Meta’s deceptively cute AI assistant, most recently faced the wrath of Amazon , which said its “continued access” violates its site policies. There are reports of xAI’s Grok , Instinct’s AI agent, and OpenAI’s Dots being unable to use Amazon as well.