Phoebe Gates’ shopping app reportedly claimed commissions for sales it didn’t generate.

A browser-based shopping companion application associated with Phoebe Gates has recently faced scrutiny over allegations of deceptive affiliate marketing practices.

Independent testing of the Phia mobile browser extension across dozens of retail websites demonstrated that the software frequently engaged in suspicious background activities during checkout processes. Specifically, the extension was observed launching hidden background tabs without any input or authorization from the user. Once these covert tabs were active, the application injected its own unique referral codes into the transaction session, which effectively erased and replaced the tracking identifiers of other content creators and publishers who had legitimately referred the shopper to the store.

By overriding these original referral cookies, the application was able to wrongfully claim financial commissions on consumer purchases that it had no genuine part in generating or influencing. This kind of behavior closely resembles controversial cookie-stuffing techniques often criticized in the digital advertising industry for diverting revenue away from honest content publishers. Following the public disclosure of these findings by media investigators, representatives for the shopping tool announced that they have since resolved the underlying technical issue. However, the incident raises broader questions regarding the transparency, user consent, and ethical standards of modern browser extensions designed for online shopping assistance.