Honey Lost 4 Million Chrome Users After Shady Tactics Were Revealed (9to5google.com)
(Monday March 31, 2025 @05:40PM (BeauHD)
from the now-vs-then dept.)
- Reference: 0176875473
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/03/31/1948230/honey-lost-4-million-chrome-users-after-shady-tactics-were-revealed
- Source link: https://9to5google.com/2025/03/31/honey-extension-users-dropped-chrome-march-2025/
The Chrome extension Honey has [1]lost over 4 million users after a [2]viral video exposed it for hijacking affiliate codes and misleading users about finding the best coupon deals. 9to5Google reports:
> As we reported in early January, Honey had lost around 3 million users immediately after the video went viral, but ended up gaining back around 1 million later on. Now, as of March 2025, Honey is down to 16 million users [3]on Chrome , down from its peak of 20 million.
>
> This drop comes after new Chrome policy has taken effect which prevents Honey, and extensions like it, from practices including taking over affiliate codes without disclosure or without benefit to the extension's users. Honey has since updated its extension listing with disclosure, and we found that the behavior shown in the December video no longer occurs.
[1] https://9to5google.com/2025/03/31/honey-extension-users-dropped-chrome-march-2025/
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc4yL3YTwWk
[3] https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/honey-automatic-coupons-r/bmnlcjabgnpnenekpadlanbbkooimhnj?pli=1
> As we reported in early January, Honey had lost around 3 million users immediately after the video went viral, but ended up gaining back around 1 million later on. Now, as of March 2025, Honey is down to 16 million users [3]on Chrome , down from its peak of 20 million.
>
> This drop comes after new Chrome policy has taken effect which prevents Honey, and extensions like it, from practices including taking over affiliate codes without disclosure or without benefit to the extension's users. Honey has since updated its extension listing with disclosure, and we found that the behavior shown in the December video no longer occurs.
[1] https://9to5google.com/2025/03/31/honey-extension-users-dropped-chrome-march-2025/
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc4yL3YTwWk
[3] https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/honey-automatic-coupons-r/bmnlcjabgnpnenekpadlanbbkooimhnj?pli=1
That's it? (Score:3, Insightful)
by Dwnldedskill ( 1468851 )
The fact that it wasn't way more than 4 million is disturbing to me. The fact that a huge company like that thinks it's cool to effectively steal (hope they lose all the lawsuits) from others is really, really scummy. I closed my PayPal account as a result.
Re: (Score:2)
by Bradac_55 ( 729235 )
Not that shocking I'm surprised it's that many people.
If your the type of person that would install Honey your not all that observant and only looking for handouts.
Consider reading the 3 day old AMA... (Score:3, Informative)
by reynolds_john ( 242657 )
The previous owner gave his (quite lengthy) side of the story here. Consider it an interesting read. [1]https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/... [reddit.com]
[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1jlfms8/im_ryan_hudson_the_cofounder_of_honey_ama/
The first comment... (Score:3)
Tells you just how irrelevant, they will now become ;-) Too little, too late!
Re: (Score:1)
Scam company that has no reason to exist, loses customers after after it is exposed as a scam company that has no reason to exist.
I am shocked.