Phoebe Gates' Shopping App Phia Accused of Cookie Stuffing
According to Bloomberg, Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, the co-founders of the shopping application Phia, were reportedly aware as early as December that their app was falsely attributing sales it did not facilitate. The findings, derived from internal Slack communications and unnamed sources, indicate that the app participated in a method known as cookie stuffing, where affiliate credit is claimed without the user having interacted with the app. This situation raises significant concerns regarding the ethics and transparency of affiliate marketing within the tech sector. Phia, which focuses on helping users find sustainable fashion, has yet to issue a public statement regarding these allegations. The incident underscores the difficulties startups encounter in building trust with users and retail partners alike.
Key facts
- Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni are co-founders of the shopping app Phia.
- Bloomberg reviewed internal Slack messages and spoke with unnamed sources.
- The app was aware of the issue as far back as December.
- Phia was automatically claiming credit for sales it did not drive.
- The practice is known as cookie stuffing.
- The report was published by Bloomberg.
- Phia has not publicly commented on the allegations.
- The story was reported by Quartz.
Entities
Artists
- Phoebe Gates
- Sophia Kianni
Institutions
- Phia
- Bloomberg
- Quartz
Sources
- Quartz —