- Honey allegedly replaces affiliate codes and hides better discounts to favor retailers, misleading users.
- Over 3 million users uninstalled the extension following a viral video exposing its tactics.
- A class-action lawsuit has been filed, but Honey has not yet responded publicly.
PayPal’s Honey extension, once a trusted tool for finding coupon codes, has come under fire for controversial practices. A recent expose has led to over 3 million Chrome users uninstalling the extension.
Honey, a popular Chrome extension owned by PayPal, has long been promoted as a money-saving tool for online shoppers. However, allegations of unethical practices have caused over 3 million users to abandon the platform, following a viral exposé by content creator MegaLag.
Honey extension accused of unethical practices
Honey markets itself as a service that finds and applies the best coupon codes for online purchases. While it doesn’t charge users directly, it earns revenue through affiliate commissions by claiming credit for directing sales to retailers.
However, on December 22, 2024, a YouTuber known as ‘MegaLag’ uploaded a video exposing the Honey extension’s unethical practices. The video, which has received more than 15 million views, highlights several concerning practices:
- Affiliate Code Hijacking: Honey reportedly replaces existing affiliate codes from other sources, like YouTube creators, and substitutes its own, diverting commissions unfairly.
- Withholding Better Deals: Evidence suggests Honey prioritizes showing coupon codes that benefit retailers, hiding discounts that would save users more money.
- False Attribution: Even if Honey fails to find a coupon, merely interacting with the extension allegedly allows it to claim credit for the transaction.
Honey extension loses 3 million Chrome users
The video’s impact was immediate. Within a week of its release, the Honey extension lost 3 million users on the Chrome Web Store.
Before the video’s release on December 22, the extension had more than 20 million users. By December’s end, its user base had dropped to 17 million, as confirmed by The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine. Furthermore, the rating has dropped to 4.7 from 4.8 out of 5 stars.
Legal action on Honey
A class action lawsuit has been filed against Honey, citing deceptive practices. However, the company has yet to issue a public statement addressing these claims, fueling further user frustration.
This controversy raises important questions about the transparency of browser extensions. Tools like Honey may promise convenience and savings, but users should be cautious about their actual impact and intentions.
The Honey extension’s dramatic decline in popularity serves as a reminder to scrutinize even widely trusted digital services. Transparency, ethical practices, and user trust remain essential for any tool to succeed in the long term.
0
Chandramohan Rajput is the Senior Editor of Extension Garden, where he has been covering Chrome extensions, tech news, and in-depth how-tos since 2019. When he's not exploring new tech, you can find him playing cricket or immersed in Counter-Strike 2.
