tech
Phia accused of 'cookie stuffing,' taking affiliate credit on purchases it didn't earn
Phia, the shopping startup founded by Bill Gates’ daughter, Phoebe, and her friend Sophia Kianni is under fire for a practice known as “cookie stuffing,” which helped the product receive commissions and credit for sales it did not actually generate, per a Bloomberg investigation.
TL;DR
- Phia, co-founded by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, is accused of "cookie stuffing."
- This practice allegedly allowed Phia to receive commissions and credit for sales it did not generate by overriding other referral codes during checkout.
- The accusation has led to Phia's suspension from the affiliate platform Impact.com.
- Similar allegations have led to lawsuits against other companies, such as Honey.
- Phia, founded in 2025, has raised over $40 million from investors including Khloé Kardashian and Hailey Bieber.
- Phia's app functions as a browser extension to help users find low-priced items and discount codes across retailers.
- Phia claims the issue has been fixed, but its resolution with partners is uncertain.
- Phia did not respond to requests for comment from TechCrunch.