Amazon Blocks Meta's Muse. It Could Be a Gift for Walmart and Shopify
Amazon Blocks Meta's Muse. It Could Be a Gift for Walmart and Shopify
Jeremy Bowman, The Motley FoolThu, September 24, 2026 at 8:05 PM UTC
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Amazon says that Meta's Muse violates its terms of services.
Meanwhile, retail platforms like Walmart, Shopify, and Best Buy have recently announced integrations with Muse.
Based on the stock market reaction thus far, investors are betting that the Muse disruption will be significant.
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Meta Platforms' (NASDAQ:META) new AI agent, Muse, is sweeping the nation.
The app now ranks #1 in the App Store and Google Play for free downloads, and it's garnering rave reviews across social media. A New York Times reviewer said he was "blown away" by Muse, and called it "the most useful A.I. app I had ever used."
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Muse is also having far-reaching effects on the stock market. CPU stocks like Intel, Arm Holdings, and Advanced Micro Devices have soared since the launch, as increased use of AI agents is expected to fuel demand for CPUs, which are key to making agentic AI run.
Stocks that have partnered with Muse, including Shopify, PayPal, and Expedia, have soared, while stocks in industries like banking, media, and travel have fallen as investors bet that Muse will book travel without going through an online travel agency, cancel unused subscriptions, and push back on fees.
However, one company is pushing back on Muse. That's Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN). The e-commerce giant has blocked Muse from purchasing products on its site, claiming that it violates its terms of service.
That might seem like a major setback for Muse, but other retailers are embracing it, and that could help them gain market share on Amazon. Those include Walmart, Best Buy, Dick's Sporting Goods, and several others.
Is Muse the future of shopping?
Muse can handle a wide range of tasks, such as ordering groceries, scheduling meetings, filling out forms, and even negotiating for a discount or a refund.
Shopping is well within its purview. A user might ask it to find the best price on a certain item, or to come up with ideas for gifts, menu planning, or home decorating, and buy accordingly.
By blocking Muse, Amazon seems to be protecting its ecosystem, including its valuable advertising business. If consumers outsource their shopping to an agent like Muse, presumably the value of ads goes down, as Muse responds to an objective set by the user rather than to impulse purchases driven by ads. In the past, Amazon has also zealously guarded its platform, suing Perplexity after charging that it had concealed its AI agents to scrape Amazon's website. Amazon has also blocked agents from OpenAI and Google.
Still, it's meaningful that Amazon's two closest e-commerce rivals, Walmartand Shopify, have already integrated with Muse.
Will Amazon be a loser from Muse?
If Muse continues to gain adoption, Amazon seems likely to lose market share to Walmart and Shopify, as shoppers can likely find what they're looking for on those platforms.
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Amazon offers convenience, a wide selection, familiarity, and fast delivery through Prime, but users accustomed to shopping on the platform may switch to another retailer if they prefer Muse's convenience, and Walmart has worked hard to narrow the gap with Amazon in recent years.
Why retailers are embracing Muse
While Amazon is blocking Meta's new personal agent, other retailers are racing to embrace it, and it's easy to see why.
Muse will help eliminate friction in the shopping experience, and that will be a clear tailwind for these retailers. It could also reduce return rates, as shoppers could be more assured that they are getting the lowest price.
Investors clearly see it as a tailwind for the retail sector, which explains why Shopify popped on news of the integration.
Overall, Muse could be a big win for Walmart, Shopify, and the rest of Amazon's challengers. If there's a significant shift in market share, we could see Amazon reverse course and open up its platform to Muse, further validating Meta's new AI tool.
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Jeremy Bowman has positions in Advanced Micro Devices, Amazon, Arm Holdings, and Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Amazon, Arm Holdings, Best Buy, Intel, Meta Platforms, The New York Times Co., and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Source: “AOL Money”
