--- title: "Phoebe Gates' startup Phia accused of cookie stuffing for seven months" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/business/phoebe-gates-startup-phia-accused-of-cookie-stuffing-for-seven-months" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/phoebe-gates-startup-phia-accused-of-cookie-stuffing-for-seven-months" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/business/phoebe-gates-startup-phia-accused-of-cookie-stuffing-for-seven-months.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/phoebe-gates-startup-phia-accused-of-cookie-stuffing-for-seven-months" category: "Business & Economy" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-13T07:46:54.940Z" source_reported: "2026-08-13T07:09:15.504Z" updated: "2026-08-13T07:46:54.940Z" trust_score: 76 critic_score: 95 hype_score: 18 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-13T09:30:34.052058+00:00" --- # Phoebe Gates' startup Phia accused of cookie stuffing for seven months *Internal Slack messages show the feature operated from December, Bloomberg reports, while Phia calls it a glitch* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 76 of 100, higher is better. Includes named attorney Ariel Givner and specific Bloomberg figures, meeting multiple source criteria. - Craft 95 of 100, higher is better. Provides context, quotes, specific data, and outlines next steps, meeting all craft criteria. - Hype 18 of 100, lower is better. Headline emphasizes 20‑year penalty, but article stays factual and measured. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Phoebe Gates, 23, co-founded Phia, a browser extension that hunts for discount codes and earns commission on sales it refers. - Bloomberg reports internal Slack messages show Phia’s cookie-stuffing feature operated from at least December until it was disabled in July. - Phia’s average daily revenue fell from about $80,000 to between $10,000 and $28,000 after the feature was turned off, according to Bloomberg. - No criminal charges have been filed against Phoebe Gates or Phia as of the reporting date. Phoebe Gates, 23, co-founded Phia, a browser extension that searches for discount codes across online retailers. When a shopper uses one of its codes at checkout, Phia drops a tracking cookie that signals it helped close the sale, earning a commission. The practice known as cookie stuffing involves planting that cookie even when the platform played no role in the purchase. Bloomberg reported that internal Slack messages and people familiar with the matter show Phia’s cookie-stuffing feature operated for at least seven months, beginning as early as December. The report said the feature accounted for the bulk of Phia’s revenue, spanning retailers including Nike, Gap and Nordstrom. After the feature was disabled in July, Bloomberg said Phia’s average daily revenue fell from about $80,000 to between $10,000 and $28,000. Phia told The New York Post on 7 July that it had learned of the problem only within the previous 24 hours and called it a glitch. An internal dashboard seen by Bloomberg showed a toggle named "enable coupon auto drop," which the company described as a bug. Phia has said it is reviewing every transaction and issuing reversals to brand partners. Impact.com, the affiliate network, has suspended Phia and reallocated its commissions. ## What the reports disagree on Live Mint reported that Phoebe Gates wrote in a Slack message on 18 December that she was worried Phia was not earning enough commission from Etsy and asked whether the auto-pop feature for cookie drops was live on all sites. IBTimes UK reported that Gates and co-founder Sophia Kianni were aware of automated cookie-dropping features for months, citing internal Slack messages. Neither outlet reported that Gates or Kianni admitted to intentional fraud. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests mention that internal Slack messages show the cookie-stuffing feature operated for at least seven months. None of the right-rated digests name the retailers involved: Nike, Gap and Nordstrom. The centre-rated report and one left-rated report carried those details. ## Who covered it Shares of the 9 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 22% (2) - Centre: 11% (1) - Right: 67% (6) 4 of 13 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-13T09:30:34.052058+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 9 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-13T10:00:19.946Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The two left-rated reports led on the legal stakes of cookie stuffing. IBTimes UK opened with the potential 20-year prison sentence under federal wire-fraud law and noted that no charges have been filed. It quoted the Federal Trade Commission’s description of legitimate affiliate marketing and explained why cookie stuffing abuses that system. Futurism’s digest said the practice could land Phoebe Gates in "serious legal jeopardy." - IBTimes UK carried the detail that Phia’s average daily revenue fell after the feature was disabled and that cookie stuffing accounted for about 51% of the merchandise value Phia claimed credit for in June. It also reported that Phia disputed Bloomberg’s data analysis and said the revenue drop reflected the disabling of other monetisation efforts. Neither left-rated report quoted Phoebe Gates or Sophia Kianni directly. ### Centre - Live Mint, the centre-rated report, led on the 20-year maximum prison sentence and the discrepancy between Phia’s public statement that it discovered the problem within 24 hours and Bloomberg’s finding that internal messages show the founders knew for at least seven months. It quoted Ariel Givner, a lawyer, who wrote on X that cookie stuffing is typically treated as federal wire fraud. - Live Mint reported that an internal dashboard showed a toggle named "enable coupon auto drop" and that Phoebe Gates wrote in a Slack message on 18 December that she was worried about monetisation across all sites. It also carried the detail that Phia’s average daily revenue fell from about $80,000 to between $10,000 and $28,000 after the feature was disabled. The report named the retailers involved: Nike, Gap and Nordstrom. ### Right - All six right-rated digests led on the potential 20-year prison sentence and the allegation that Phoebe Gates engaged in cookie stuffing. The New York Post’s digest called Gates a "nepo baby." TMZ’s digest said Gates was "getting some heat" and that a report claimed she knew the practice was happening. Protothema’s digest said Gates faces 20 years in prison for "charging commissions for foreign sales." - The right-rated digests carried the detail that Phia’s revenue fell after the feature was disabled, but none mentioned the seven-month timeline Bloomberg reported. None quoted Phoebe Gates or Sophia Kianni directly, and none named the retailers involved. USSANews’s digest called Phia an "AI-powered shopping assistant." **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 2 - mixed: 4 - high: 2 - unknown: 4 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Halk TV](https://halktv.com.tr/dunya/milyarder-babasinin-izinden-gidiyordu-simdi-basi-dertte-bill-gatesin-kizi-hapis-riskiyle-karsi-karsiya-1048650h) — She Was Following in Her Billionaire Father's Footsteps, Now She's in Trouble! Bill Gates' Daughter Faces the Risk of Imprisonment. - [ussanews.com](https://ussanews.com/2026/08/13/daughter-of-bill-gates-accused-of-cookie-stuffing-fraud-in-start-up-business-phoebe-gates-could-face-20-years-in-prison-lawyer-warns) — Daughter of Bill Gates accused of ‘cookie stuffing’ fraud in start-up business; Phoebe Gates could face 20 years in prison, lawyer warns - [NewsBytes](https://newsbytesapp.com/news/business/gates-daughter-faces-20-years-in-prison-over-cookie-stuffing/story) — Gates' daughter faces 20 years in prison over 'cookie stuffing' - [BreezyScroll](https://breezyscroll.com/business/bill-gates-daughters-startup-phia-faces-scrutiny-over-alleged-cookie-stuffing-practice) — Bill Gates’ Daughter’s Startup Phia Faces Scrutiny Over Alleged ‘Cookie Stuffing’ Practice - [Live Mint](https://livemint.com/news/us-news/what-is-cookie-stuffing-the-20-year-jail-term-charge-now-shadowing-bill-gates-daughters-startup-11786585815729.html) — What is cookie stuffing? The 20-year jail term charge now shadowing Bill Gates' daughter's startup - [Protothema](https://protothema.gr/world/article/1864187/bleximata-gia-tin-kori-tou-bil-geits-kataggelies-oti-i-startup-tis-hreone-promitheies-gia-xenes-poliseis) — Bill Gates' Daughter Faces 20 Years in Prison for Charging Commissions for Foreign Sales - [IBTimes UK](https://ibtimes.co.uk/phoebe-gates-startup-cookie-stuffing-allegations-1813935) — What Is 'Cookie Stuffing'? Bill Gates' Daughter Could Face up to 20 Years in Prison if Charged and Convicted - [patribotics.blog](https://patribotics.blog/future-tech/%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%84-%D8%BA%D9%8A%D8%AA%D8%B3-%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AC%D9%87-%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%83%D9%84-%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AE%D8%B7%D9%8A%D8%B1) — Bill Gates' Daughter Faces Serious Legal Problems - [New York Post](https://nypost.com/2026/08/12/business/bill-gates-daughter-phoebe-accused-of-cookie-stuffing-scheme-that-has-max-penalty-of-20-years-in-prison-reports) — Bill Gates’ daughter Phoebe accused of ‘cookie stuffing’ scheme that has max penalty of 20 years in prison: reports - [TMZ](https://tmz.com/2026/08/12/bill-gates-daughter-phoebe-startup-allegedly-took-credit-for-sales-it-did-not-drive) — Bill Gates' Daughter Phoebe's App Accused of 'Cookie Stuffing' - [Saptamana Financiara](https://sfin.ro/phia-cookie-stuffing-comisioane-vanzari-negenerate) — Phia, the Startup Founded by Bill Gates' Daughter, Allegedly Claimed Commissions for Sales It Did Not Generate - [Futurism](https://futurism.com/future-society/bill-gates-daughter-serious-legal-trouble) — It Seems Like Bill Gates' Daughter May Be in Serious Legal Trouble - [Independent Journal Review](https://ijr.com/article/bill-gates-daughters-startup-accused-of-cookie-stuffing-scheme) — Bill Gates’ Daughter’s Startup Accused of ‘Cookie Stuffing’ Scheme ## Questions **What is cookie stuffing?** Cookie stuffing is the deceptive placement of affiliate tracking cookies on a user’s browser without a genuine referral. It allows an affiliate to claim commission on sales it did not generate. The Federal Trade Commission describes it as an abuse of the affiliate marketing system, which is meant to credit only actual referrals. **How long did Phia’s cookie-stuffing feature operate?** Bloomberg reports internal Slack messages show Phia’s cookie-stuffing feature operated for at least seven months, beginning as early as December. Phia publicly said it discovered the problem only within the previous 24 hours before disabling it in July. **What is the maximum penalty for cookie stuffing under US law?** Cookie stuffing can be prosecuted under US federal wire-fraud law, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The law requires prosecutors to establish a scheme to defraud, an intent to defraud, and the use of interstate electronic communications to further the scheme. **Has Phoebe Gates been charged with a crime?** No criminal charges have been filed against Phoebe Gates as of the reporting date. The allegations remain unproven in court, and there is no finding that she committed fraud. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/business/phoebe-gates-startup-phia-accused-of-cookie-stuffing-for-seven-months. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Phoebe Gates' startup Phia accused of cookie stuffing for seven months", https://mediabias.news/business/phoebe-gates-startup-phia-accused-of-cookie-stuffing-for-seven-months