The Honey Trap

By now, it would be almost impossible for the general public to have never encountered the browser extension Honey, thanks to its strong presence in online promotions. Over the years, it seemed as though every major influencer or content creator had advertised Honey, presenting it as a foolproof way to save money online. But is it too good to be true?

In December of 2019, popular gaming content creator Markeplier expressed having mixed feelings about the extension. While he admitted that he liked the concept, he also voiced skepticism about its legitimacy. As a former Honey user myself, I often wondered how the company could offer such a seemingly altruistic service and still earn a profit. These doubts lingered until December 10th, 2024, when YouTuber MegaLag, who has been inactive for the past 8 months, suddenly dropped a bombshell. He posted a video titled “Exposing the Honey Influencer Scam”, which has garnered 11M views in a week. In this video, MegaLag accused Honey of misleading its users into believing that they were saving the maximum amount of money possible, when in reality, the company was allegedly hiding better deals to favour its partnering brands. The allegations don’t stop there. He also uncovered how Honey disrupted the affiliate marketing system, effectively stealing commissions intended for content creators. This manipulation relied on the “last-click” attribution model used by many online retailers. Under this system, the party responsible for the last recorded interaction before a purchase receives the commission for the sale. Honey takes advantage of this, by popping up during checkout. This means that even when a user clicked on an affiliate link from a content creator, Honey’s intervention at checkout ensured that Honey received the credit and commission instead. 

To illustrate this, MegaLag demonstrated how clicking on an affiliate link generates a temporary cookie that tracks which content creator should earn the commission. When Honey scans for and applies discount codes, it overwrites this cookie with its own, essentially redirecting the earnings away from creators. Supporters of Honey argue that the extension's discounts are often the reason customers complete their purchases. This point is refuted by MegaLag, who emphasizes that if a user was already at the checkout page, Honey’s involvement wasn’t what prompted the purchase. Instead, it merely piggybacked on the user’s decision. 

The most shocking part of this situation is how these practices went unnoticed for so long. I vividly recall researching Honey’s legitimacy after seeing countless endorsements, wondering if it was as exquisite as influencers claimed. It seems incredible that nobody publicly questioned the nature of Honey’s business model earlier. Since MegaLag’s video, claims against Honey have escalated, with many accusing the company of fraud and deceptive practices. A close look will reveal that Honey’s tactics were not hidden, just that nobody bothered to check what they actually did. For instance, simply examining the inspect element tab could reveal where the commission was being directed. Furthermore, MegaLag’s video included email correspondence with Honey, in which the company admitted that affiliate sales commissions would indeed go to Honey instead of the original content creator. The company’s own Business FAQs openly stated that they prioritize using the discount codes of their partners, further corroborating the claims. 

In hindsight, it’s clear that this scheme was hiding in plain sight. The issue highlights the need for consumers to critically evaluate products, even those promoted by trusted influencers. It is important to realize that if something is free, you are likely the product. The responsibility for content creators to thoroughly understand the services that they endorse has become higher than ever, and ultimately, it’s a call for greater accountability from both companies and influencers in the digital marketplace.