Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni reportedly knew Phia was ‘cookie stuffing’ for months

Phia, the shopping startup co-founded by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, is facing renewed scrutiny over alleged cookie stuffing tied to its business practices. The report says the co-founders were aware of the issue for months, raising questions about oversight and accountability.

The allegations could damage trust in Phia as affiliate-commerce startups depend heavily on transparent tracking and attribution. More broadly, the controversy highlights growing scrutiny of creator commerce and shopping tools that monetize user purchases through behind-the-scenes referral systems.