Warar cusub: Aasaasayaashii Phia waxay ogaayeen ficilada 'cookie stuffing' ilaa Diseembar

Bloomberg ayaa soo saartay caddeyn muujinaysa in Phoebe Gates iyo Sophia Kianni ay ka hadlayeen dhibaatada iibka affilka ah muddo dheer ka hor inta aan la shaacin.

Shirkadda Phia, oo ay aasaaseen Phoebe Gates iyo Sophia Kianni, ayaa dhex martay eedmo cusub oo sheegaya in la aasaasayay ficilada 'cookie stuffing'. Warbixin cusub oo Bloomberg ah ayaa muujisay in aasaasayaashu ay arrinta ogaayeen ilaa Diseembar.

Baaritaankii Bloomberg iyo Qiibkii Iibka

Bloomberg ayaa markii ugu horreysay ee sanadkan soo saartay baaritaan qeexaya sida Phia ay ammaan iyo komishan u qaadanayso iibsashada affilka ee aysan gacan ka geysan. Marka Bloomberg ugu horreysay u sheegay, wakiilka Phia wuxuu sheegay in shirkaddu ay arrinta ogaatay oo kaliya markii la soo gaarsiisay.

Warbixin cusub ayaa muujisay in 'cookie stuffing' uu qayb weyn ka ahaa iibka Phia, shirkaduna ay hoos u dhac weyn ku keentay dakhliga maalmeedka markii la joojiyay. Tafaariiqleyaasha saameysmay waxaa ka mid ah Nike iyo Nordstrom.

Aqoonteedii Aasaasayaasha iyo Jawaabtii Shirkadda

Warbixinta cusub waxay ku salaysan tahay Slack-yo daatay iyo ilo u dhow arrinta, taas oo muujinaysa in Gates iyo Kianni ay ogaayeen ficilada ilaa Diseembar. Farriimaha daatay waxay kaloo muujinayaan iyaga oo ka wada hadlaya 'cookie stuffing' mas'uuliyiin iyo injineero kale.

Bilowgii Luulyo, wakiilka Phia wuxuu ugu yeeray 'bug', laakiin Bloomberg hadda waxay sheegaysaa inay ahayd astaan si ula kac ah loo dhisay oo la dami karo. Wakiilka Phia ayaa Bloomberg u sheegay inay diideen qaybo eedaha, laakiin ay yiraahdeen 'learn from this'.

Taariikhda Phia iyo Mowqifkeeda Suuqa

Phia waxay bilowday Abriil hore iyada oo ballan qaadaysa inay noqoto goob wax ku ogaanaysa qiimayaasha ugu fiican sida Google Flights. Dhowr maalmood ka dib baaritaankii Luulyo, Puck waxay ogaatay in shirkaddu ay lumisay ku dhawaad kala badh shaqaalaheeda buuxa tan iyo bilowga sanadka.

Phia waxaa horey uga dhacay muran ku saabsan ururinta xogaha xasaasiga ah iyo dabagal isticmaalaha. Maaddaama ay Puck soo warisay, calaamadaha badan ayaa ahaa kuwo aan ogayn inay ku jiraan abka, maalgashadayaashuna way ka caroodeen.

Bloomberg's latest reporting reveals that Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni were aware their shopping startup Phia was engaging in cookie stuffing as early as December, contradicting earlier claims that the company only learned of the practice when contacted by the publication.

The Cookie Stuffing Scheme Uncovered

Phia, a shopping startup co-founded by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, was taking credit and commission for affiliate purchases it did not help to generate, a practice known as cookie stuffing. Bloomberg published an investigation mapping out Phia's cookie stuffing practices earlier this year, revealing the extent of the scheme.

When Bloomberg first reported on Phia's cookie stuffing, a Phia spokesperson told the publication that the company was only made aware of the issue when Bloomberg reached out to them. However, new reporting by Bloomberg shows that Gates and Kianni knew their startup was cookie stuffing as far back as December, based on leaked Slacks and sources familiar with the matter speaking to the publication.

Revenue Impact and Retailer Fallout

Cookie stuffing made up a good chunk of Phia's sales and the company saw a sizable drop in daily revenue once it stopped the practice. The outlet also gained insight into the affected retailers, including Nike and Nordstrom, which were impacted by the deceptive marketing tactics employed by the startup.

In early July, a Phia spokesperson referred to the cookie stuffing as a bug, but Bloomberg now reports that this was a purposefully built feature that could be switched on and off. The leaked Slack messages also show Gates and Kianni talking about cookie stuffing practices with other executives and engineers, raising further questions about the company's internal culture.

Phia's Response and Broader Controversies

Regarding the new allegations, a Phia spokesperson told Bloomberg that it rebuffed some of the publication's claims, but said the company would 'learn from this.' Phia launched last April with the promise to be a more effective Google Flights-like site for shopping, helping users find the best prices across various retailers.

A few days after Bloomberg's investigation in July, Puck also dug around and found that Phia lost almost half its full-time employees since the beginning of the year. It's also faced controversy in the past, like about how it was secretly collecting swaths of sensitive data, including tracking user behavior across the web and sending it back to their servers.