Phoebe Gates’ shopping startup Phia is facing scrutiny after allegations that its browser extension was taking credit for online sales it did not actually generate. Phia, which was launched in 2025 by the 23-year-old daughter of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and her friend Sophia Kianni, markets itself as a tool that helps shoppers find discounts and compare prices across fashion retailers. However, testing by Bloomberg, affiliate marketing researcher Ben Edelman, and rival service Capital One Shopping found the extension was allegedly inserting its own referral codes during checkout, allowing it to collect commissions on purchases even when users had not clicked through Phia. The practice, known as “cookie stuffing,” can override referral links from other publishers and affiliates, potentially redirecting commissions away from the original source. Bloomberg reported observing the behavior across more than 50 retail websites, including Walmart, Nike, and Zara. A Phia spokesperson acknowledged the issue and said the problem stemmed from a coding glitch. The company said it fixed the bug after being notified and explained that Phia has “always maintained compliance” with affiliate network rules. The controversy has already had consequences; affiliate network Impact.com said it stopped working with Phia and launched an investigation after receiving reports of the company’s mispractices.
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