A viral post says Delta, JPMorgan, Schwab, Yelp and Amazon are blocking AI agents, echoing a Verge report
notice.. > Delta is blocking AI agents from booking flights > JPMorgan Chase and Charles Schwab block agents from accessing accounts > Yelp requires paid data licensing for agents > Amazon has blocked Grok bot and other shopping agents. the internet is starting to block AI agents that were supposed to do everything for us
Context
If major sites shut out agents, the promise that AI assistants will book, shop and bank for people runs into the businesses that control those services.
This is commentary from the account Wise, which gives no sources. The Verge and TechCrunch reported most of the claims, but Amazon's block was confirmed for Meta's Muse, while reports that Grok and other agents cannot use Amazon come from users.
Deep dive
On the evening of October 17, the account Wise posted a list: Delta is blocking AI agents from booking flights, JPMorgan Chase and Charles Schwab block agents from accessing accounts, Yelp requires paid data licensing for agents, and Amazon has blocked Grok Bot and other shopping agents. It concluded that the internet is starting to block the agents that were supposed to do everything for us. The post passed 1.7 million views.
Most of the list matches reporting. The Verge reported on October 17 that Yelp told TechCrunch it only allows agents that pay for its data licensing program, that Delta is preventing agents from booking tickets for users, and that JPMorgan Chase and Charles Schwab confirmed they block agents from accounts over security concerns. TechCrunch quoted Delta saying it has no partnership or integration that lets a third party agent book flights on its platforms.
The Amazon claim is less settled. The Verge reported that Amazon said Meta's Muse agent violates its policies, and that there are reports of xAI's Grok, Instinct's agent and OpenAI's dots being unable to use Amazon. It did not report an Amazon statement about Grok Bot. The Verge added that Elon Musk responded by saying maybe he should start a competitor to Amazon.
The Verge also noted users report problems on Cars.com and Amtrak, and that anti bot systems can block agents even where sites have no formal ban.
What to expect next
Watch whether Amazon comments on Grok Bot specifically, and whether more companies sign deals with agent makers, as Meta has with retailers such as Walmart and Best Buy.
Also watch the court fight between Amazon and Perplexity over agent shopping, which could shape whether sites can legally block agents acting for users. Standards for agents to identify themselves to websites, and paid access programs like Yelp's, may decide how open the web stays to agents.