Phia Scandal: Gates’s AI Shopping Start-up Faces Fresh Allegations of Affiliate Fraud

Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni’s AI shopping platform Phia is under scrutiny after Bloomberg reports that the company knowingly pushed for features that earned commissions on sales it didn’t drive, via “cookie stuffing.” Internal Slack messages show awareness of the practice since at least December 2025, contradicting Phia’s earlier bug explanation. Cookie stuffing can be prosecuted as wire fraud, carrying potential penalties, casting a harsh light on Phia’s business practices and raising questions about founder accountability.