Honey’s reported Chrome-extension audience fell by about 4 million users, from a peak of 20 million to 16 million in March 2025, according to 9to5Google. That is a dated Chrome count—not a current total across browsers or PayPal’s other shopping features. The decline followed scrutiny of allegations that Honey could take affiliate-sale credit from creators and publishers, even when it did not secure a discount or cashback offer. Those allegations have not been established by a court.
What does “Honey lost 4 million users” mean?
The figure refers to the difference between a reported peak of 20 million Chrome users and 16 million in March 2025. 9to5Google reported the numbers on March 31, 2025, describing the drop as roughly four million after Honey came under scrutiny in December 2024. It is not a measure of users across all browsers, and it should not be read as Honey’s current audience.
The sources cited here do not establish a current, independently verified user total across platforms. Chrome-extension counts also do not, by themselves, explain why individual people removed or stopped using an extension.
What were the allegations against Honey?
In a December 2024 video, creator MegaLag alleged that Honey could replace another publisher’s affiliate attribution with PayPal’s in some shopping interactions. The allegation drew attention to cases in which the extension might be activated even though it did not provide a discount or cashback benefit. ABC News describes the tracking mechanism and the lawsuit’s allegation of unlawful redirection in its explanation of the Honey dispute.
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These are allegations, not a judicial finding that Honey stole commissions or acted unlawfully. A separate class-action complaint amended on January 22, 2026, makes further allegations and describes plaintiffs’ tests from March and May 2025. A complaint records one party’s claims; its account is not proof that those claims are true.
Why does affiliate attribution matter?
An affiliate link carries a tracking identifier—a referral label that can tell a retailer which publisher, creator, or other referrer sent a shopper. If the shopper buys something, the merchant may pay a commission to the party credited with the referral. ABC News explains this system in its coverage of the allegations.
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The controversy is about who receives that credit. If an extension replaces an existing tracking identifier with its own, the retailer may attribute the sale to the extension’s affiliate partner instead of the original referrer. Whether that happened in a particular transaction depends on the facts; the allegations about Honey should not be treated as a finding about every use of the extension.
What changed after the allegations?
Google’s Chrome affiliate policy
In March 2025, Google updated its Chrome extension policy on affiliate links, according to contemporaneous reporting that quoted the developer policy. The rule was reported as requiring a direct, transparent user benefit tied to an extension’s core functionality, along with related user action, before an extension includes affiliate links, codes, or cookies. Reported examples included inserting affiliate tracking without a discount, cashback, or donation, or replacing an existing affiliate code without the user’s explicit knowledge or a related action. 9to5Google reported the change and reproduced the policy language here.
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This describes the policy as reported in March 2025; it does not establish whether Google’s wording or enforcement has changed since then.
Awin’s investigation and measures
Affiliate network Awin Group provided a later account in an update dated January 21, 2026. Awin said its internal investigation confirmed breaches of its publisher policies, Honey had agreed to remediation and made initial updates, and Awin had suspended payments and access to new advertiser programs. Awin said those measures remained in place on the date of its statement. The company also said its Soft Click technology reduced the risk of commission misattribution during the investigation. These are Awin’s statements about its own investigation and actions, not a court’s ruling. Read Awin’s update for its account.
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The amended complaint
The January 22, 2026 amended complaint alleges that Honey changed some practices after public scrutiny but continued to replace affiliate IDs in circumstances described by the plaintiffs. Its accounts of tests in 2025 remain allegations in a legal pleading, not independently established findings. The filing can be read here.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What should shoppers do?
A shopping extension may offer convenience, but installing one means deciding whether its permissions, disclosures, and shopping behavior are acceptable to you. If you use Honey or another discount tool, consider these checks:
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- Read the extension’s disclosures. Look for an explanation of how it uses affiliate links, codes, or cookies, and whether it may earn a commission when you shop.
- Notice the action being requested. Distinguish an offer you deliberately activate from tracking that appears without a clear, related benefit or action.
- Check the purchase total yourself. Compare the retailer’s checkout price and discount before completing an order; an extension’s offer is not a guarantee of the lowest price.
These checks help you make an informed choice about browser software. They do not determine whether a past transaction was misattributed or establish the allegations against any particular extension.
What is PayPal’s newer shopping feature?
PayPal announced planned AI-powered shopping features on September 30, 2025, describing conversations that could surface product recommendations, merchants, prices, and offers. The company said rollout would begin on Chrome desktop in the United States, with other browsers to follow. That was a time-bound company announcement; it does not establish current availability or independently verify how the features perform. Details are in PayPal’s announcement.
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