Phia, co-founded by Phoebe Gates, removes features linked to cookie stuffing amid scandal; average daily revenue drops from $80,000 to $10,000–$28,000.

Phia, co-founded by Phoebe Gates, has faced scrutiny over its use of cookie stuffing, a deceptive affiliate marketing practice. Investigations revealed that the company’s browser extension was adding tracking codes to users' purchases, allowing it to earn commissions on sales it did not facilitate.¹⁶⁹

According to reports, these attributed sales accounted for 51% of Phia's credited sales in June 2026. Following the revelations, Phia stated, “Any features causing misattributions were immediately removed over a month ago on July 7.” The company is also reviewing transactions and issuing reversals to brand partners affected by the misattribution.

Internal communications indicated that the founders were aware of the cookie stuffing practice for at least seven months prior to the scandal's public exposure. Initially, Phia characterized the issue as a software bug, but later reports contradicted this claim, revealing that the feature was intentionally designed.²³

The fallout has been significant, with average daily revenue dropping from $80,000 to between $10,000 and $28,000 after the removal of the controversial features. Despite the serious implications of cookie stuffing, which could fall under federal wire fraud statutes, no charges have been filed against Phia or its founders as of mid-August 2026.⁵