Amazon blocks the Meta agent Muse while Walmart lets agents in

The Muse agent of Meta can shop for users. Users give it card numbers and home addresses. Amazon blocks it, and an error message says that access by an agent that is not approved breaks the Conditions of Use. Walmart made an Agentic Gateway to manage agent transactions on its site. Meta works with Walmart, Stripe and others on an open standard for how agents speak to businesses.

How it works

Muse works for the user. It can book flights and meals. Walmart will add Agent Profiles, and a customer can give approval to each agent with its profile. The Meta standard also divides good bots from bad bots.

The numbers

HUMAN data shows that 84% of Muse requests go to product and search pages. Adobe says that AI traffic to retail sites will be 130% more than last year this holiday season. In an Adobe study, 49% of organizations think that customers will prefer agents, but only 19% of customers agree.

What is not known

Amazon gave no cause. It has its tools for agents, and this can be the cause. Delta, Yelp, eBay, Pizza Hut and Adidas have almost the same complaints. Security warnings can slow the use of agents.

Insight: Stores choose agents by who controls the buyer

Walmart lets shoppers set a spending limit for each agent. Meta says that it will get a share of sales made through Muse. Amazon blocks the agents of Meta and Perplexity. This reads as a race to control the buyer. Walmart lets agents in on its terms, and Amazon keeps the buyer for its tools. Meta must have open access, and the standard is its tool to get it.