Under affiliate marketing contracts, an affiliate link may only be invoked in specific circumstances. (Rakuten: only when “the user knowingly tak[es] an action”; Awin: “if the user voluntarily and intentionally interacted with the Ad Media or Tracking link.”) I wrote last month about Phia’s “auto_drop” feature forcing clicks when users visit a merchant’s shopping cart – Continue reading "More Phia…
I ve recently been looking at multiple forms of misconduct by Phia, a fast-growing shopping plugin. I’m troubled by what I found, and even more troubled by Phia’s misleading public statements about these practices. Based on my hands-on testing, code review, and other investigative methods, Phia appears to be materially out of compliance with network and Continue reading "Forced Clicks and…
In 2014, I was the first to reveal previously-unknown Google contracts that required Android phone manufacturers and carriers to preload key Google apps, make them prominent, and in some instances not install competing apps. In 2018, the European Commission ruled this unlawful and imposed a €4.1 billion fine, and today the European Court of Justice upheld Continue reading "Google Android Tying…
Four groups of passengers have contacted me to report that Air France KLM has cancelled their ticketed and confirmed travel despite AF KLM receiving payment (in points or money) and sending emails saying tickets were valid. In one instance the cancellation occurred after check-in. In two instances the cancellation occurred on the day of Continue reading "Air France Cancelling Passenger Tickets…
Complaint. Answer. Docket with public comment form. Status: Briefing underway. Summary: AA s revised Conditions of Carriage and International Tariff claim that if AA downgrades a passenger (for example, from business class to coach), AA need only refund 40% of the front-cabin fare even if the difference in market price is much higher. We challenge Continue reading "American Airlines downgrade…
The past year brought renewed interest (1, 2, 3) in whether client-side software is playing fair, versus claiming affiliate commissions not truly earned. Fair is arguably subjective, but fortunately disputes are grounded by contracts between software makers, affiliate networks, and merchants. These contracts date back more than two decades. They ve been updated periodically, and that s Continue…
Three weeks ago, MegaLag and I revealed Honey not just breaking affiliate network rules (by failing to stand down when network rules require), but affirmatively hiding from testers. This is an explosive finding. It’s one thing to break stand-down rules – most plugins have been caught with violations from time to time, and usually their Continue reading "Honey Hiding from Testers The Next Steps"
Last month, @megalag and I caught the Honey shopping extension not just violating affiliate network rules (failing to stand down in circumstances where networks so require), but intentionally tricking testers. By checking users cookies (to see who had logged into a network s admin console) and checking user account details (such as whether account was new Continue reading "In Reply to Honey s…
In 2023, I sued Harvard Business School, where I had been a faculty member for 11 years, for violations of the procedure it promised to use to review faculty conduct. I say that if they had followed the procedure, I would have cleared my name of incorrect allegations. Today I posted summary judgment filings and Continue reading "Edelman v. Harvard Summary Judgment Motions and Evidence"
MegaLag’s December 2024 video introduced 18 million viewers to serious questions about Honey, the widely-used browser shopping plug-in—in particular, whether Honey abides by the rules set by affiliate networks and merchants, and whether Honey takes commissions that should flow to other affiliates. I wrote in January that I thought Honey was out of line. In Continue reading "Honey’s Dieselgate:…