Phia shopping app is taking credit and getting paid for sales it did not drive

@karli_at_hili

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SoundTikTok sound · original sound - karli_at_hili

Promoted product

hili

Why it worked

The video taps into a current controversy surrounding a high-profile app, leveraging public interest and ethical concerns to drive engagement. The creator's personal story and contrast with the criticized app add a relatable and authentic element.

Summary

The video criticizes the Phia shopping app for allegedly stealing affiliate commissions and capturing sensitive user data. The creator contrasts this with their own bootstrapped approach, emphasizing building trust and creating value for users.

Structure

1Criticism of Phia's business model and funding
2Explanation of Phia's alleged fraudulent practices
3Discussion of data privacy concerns with Phia
4Contrast with the creator's bootstrapped approach
5Emphasis on building trust and creating value

Original caption

This Phia scandal is wild, but not surprising. When your revenue depends on tricking the system and capturing sensitive data your users are never the priority. I’m building @hili | have it. love it. Because trust IS the product, it just the marketing line. #trusted #affiliatemarketing #phia #femalefounder #techstartup

More from @karli_at_hili

Product placement

Phia shopping app: ACTS - it is a shopping app that is accused of injecting codes into retailers' websites to steal affiliate commissions and create fake clicks, and of capturing users' sensitive information. Removing it would change the video's topic. Bloomberg News: APPEARS - a news outlet that reported on the Phia scandal. Removing it would not change what happens in the video. Fortune: APPEARS - a news outlet that reported on the Phia scandal. Removing it would not change what happens in the video.

On-screen text

Phia shopping app is taking credit and getting paid for sales it did not drive

Transcript

It's hard as hell to raise money these days, especially as a female startup founder. And the fact that Bill Gates's daughter was able to raise $35 million on a $185 million uh valuation after having just raised $8 million is pretty incredible. And I would hope that while I'm sure she has great distribution that there was something to justify that valuation. Turns out, there wasn't. Independent investigations were reported on by Bloomberg. news this week that showed that the app is injecting codes into retailers's website. In order to steal affiliate commissions, it never earned and create fake clicks so that merchants were required to pay them a larger payout than the sales that they actually drove to those websites. But that is not even the worst part. Security experts found that when you browse the internet with an active via extension, it was sending snapshots of virtually every web page you visited back to the Via servers. This includes personal males, protected portal pages, bank statements, like all of that was being sent back to feed. Why would they need all of that information? This is what happens when your business model is built on extracting value from people rather than creating value for people. Celebrity investors and a famous last name can get you distribution. It can get you press. It can get you a few million downloads, but it cannot fix a product that is fundamentally built to take away from the people you It's a good idea. I am a bootstrapped solo founder and while I have 20 years of experience working for some big tech names, nobody knows my name. I don't have a celebrity on my cap table, but I am building something where the entire product is designed around one question. Does this make it easier for you to find what you're looking for and trust that what you have found is the best option for you. And I think I think I believe with my whole heart that that matters than any amount of hype.