Cookie stuffing

Cookie stuffing is a deceptive tactic used in affiliate marketing. In affiliate marketing, individuals (affiliates) are compensated for driving sales through specific URLs. The URLs set cookies on users' browsers to track which affiliate sent the user to the site. Affiliates that engage in cookie stuffing use invasive techniques (like the use of pop-up ads) to set the cookies. As a result, the affiliates who use cookie stuffing falsely claim credit for sales that they did not facilitate.

Cookie stuffing is prohibited by many affiliate marketing programs and is considered fraudulent. Legitimate affiliates may lose potential customers as a result of cookie stuffing. Retail companies lose revenue as a result of cookie stuffing. Cookie stuffing leads to an increase in price for the consumers. Cookie stuffing has also been considered wire fraud. A notable case was the conviction of Shawn Hogan, a prominent figure in eBay's affiliate program. He was convicted of fraud for engaging in cookie stuffing in 2014. Hogan received a five-month federal prison sentence and a $25,000 fine.^[1] Despite occasional high-profile cases, cookie stuffing remains relatively rare, and most users do not encounter it frequently.