Bill Gates Heir’s Shopping App Claimed Sales It Didn’t Drive
Bloomberg and rival testers say Phia’s extension used hidden tabs to set affiliate cookies, and the company fixed a misattribution problem after scrutiny.
- A recent Bloomberg investigation found the shopping app Phia has been engaging in "cookie stuffing," secretly inserting affiliate codes to claim commissions on sales it did not generate.
- Phoebe Gates, daughter of Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates, co-founded Phia in 2025 with Stanford roommate Sophia Kianni as an AI-based "personal shopping assistant" backed by $43.5 million.
- Bloomberg and rival Capital One Shopping tested the app across more than 50 major retailers including Walmart, Nike, and Zara, finding it opened hidden background tabs to set its affiliate cookie without user interaction.
- Phia acknowledged a "misattribution" error stemming from a recent code change and stated the team "worked overnight" to fix it, while Impact.com suspended the startup for violating platform policies.
- This controversy echoes past industry scandals: PayPal Holdings Inc.-owned Honey faced similar allegations in 2024 and 2025, triggering significant customer backlash and a California class-action lawsuit.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Bill Gates' Daughter Phoebe Is Facing Allegations Over Her Fashion Startup
As the daughter of tech billionaire Bill Gates, 23-year-old Phoebe Gates had a lot to live up to, especially when she entered the tech space. Nevertheless, Phoebe launched her own AI shopping startup, Phia, alongside Sophia Kianni in 2025, and has received major support, including a star-studded roster of investors, including Karlie Kloss, Kim Kardashian, Sydney […]
The Phia shopping app is said to have unlawfully secured commissions for online purchases. The company acknowledges a mistake and explains that it has now resolved the problem.
App by Gates' Daughter Accused of Shady Tactics
After coming under scrutiny for how it handled users' browsing data, a buzzy shopping app backed by one of Bill Gates' daughters has now been caught quietly claiming undue credit for online sales, according to tests by Bloomberg and rival Capital One Shopping. Phia, co-founded by 23-year-old Phoebe Gates and...
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