
Phoebe Gates’ Startup Phia Faces “Cookie Stuffing” Allegations — Founders Knew for Months, Report Says
Aug 13, 2026·1 min read
Phoebe Gates, daughter of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, is facing allegations that she knowingly used improper tracking cookies to claim credit for online sales she didn’t actually drive.
A new Bloomberg report found the founders knew about the practice since December — contradicting the company’s earlier claim that it only discovered the issue in July.
“Cookie stuffing” involves placing tracking cookies on users’ devices to make it appear that a company referred a customer to a retailer, potentially generating commissions without actually driving the sale.