Today's tech news digest covers a significant legal decision impacting AI agents on e-commerce platforms, allegations of a federal data breach, and updates on the AI hardware market. Also included are reports on geopolitical impacts on global markets and Microsoft's latest security patches.
Court Halts Perplexity AI Agents From Amazon Shopping
A U.S. federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction, ordering Perplexity to cease its AI agents from making purchases on Amazon. The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by Amazon in November, accusing Perplexity of violating computer fraud and abuse laws. According to The Verge, the judge found Amazon provided "strong evidence" that Perplexity's Comet browser accessed user accounts without proper authorization. The injunction mandates that Perplexity discontinue using AI agents to access Amazon's platform and destroy any data obtained through these activities.
Federal Employee Allegedly Steals Social Security Data on USB
TechCrunch, citing The Washington Post, reports that a former employee of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is alleged to have stolen sensitive Social Security data. This data was reportedly stored on a thumb drive, and a whistleblower complaint indicates it included two restricted databases: the "Numident" and the "Master Death File." These databases collectively contain records for over 500 million Americans. While the Social Security Administration's inspector general is reportedly investigating the whistleblower's claims, an SSA spokesperson has publicly denied the allegations, labeling the report as "fake news."
Global Markets Unsettled by Escalating Iran Conflict
Bloomberg Technology reports that global markets have shown signs of being unsettled following an escalation of conflict involving Iran. This geopolitical tension is reportedly introducing increased volatility and uncertainty into global economic forecasts. The developments are also impacting established supply chains, according to the report.
Oracle Touts Cerebras AI Chips Alongside Nvidia, AMD
AI chipmaker Cerebras was mentioned by Oracle CEO Clay Magouyrk on a recent earnings call as a key provider of accelerator hardware, placing it alongside industry leaders Nvidia and AMD. This endorsement from a major cloud computing customer is notable for Cerebras, especially as the company navigates its path towards a potential IPO, having withdrawn a filing in 2024 but still expressing an intent to go public. CNBC highlights that Cerebras secured a significant ten billion dollar commitment from OpenAI and that 87% of its revenue in the first half of 2024 came from a single Middle East-based customer, G42.
Microsoft March Patch Tuesday Addresses Two Zero-Days
Microsoft has released its March 2026 "Patch Tuesday" security update, which addresses a total of 79 vulnerabilities across its various products. According to BleepingComputer, the update includes critical fixes for two publicly disclosed zero-day flaws. These vulnerabilities are identified as CVE-2026-21262, affecting SQL Server, and CVE-2026-26127, impacting .NET. While these flaws were publicly known, neither was reported to be actively exploited in attacks prior to the patch release.
OpenAI AI Infrastructure Led by Former Intel Academic
Bloomberg reports that Sachin Katti, a former academic and executive from Intel, has taken on a leadership role in guiding OpenAI's AI infrastructure development. This strategic appointment underscores OpenAI's intensive focus on expanding its computing power and related infrastructure. The objective is to support the company's ambitious goals in advancing artificial intelligence technologies.
Oracle Stock Surges on Strong AI Cloud Sales Forecast
According to Bloomberg Technology, Oracle's stock experienced a significant surge following the company's strong sales forecast for its AI cloud services. This robust performance is attributed to increasing enterprise investment and demand for artificial intelligence-related infrastructure. The forecast indicates continued growth in this sector, highlighting the ongoing industry shift towards AI-powered solutions.