Shopping plugin Phia is forcing clicks and dishonoring stand-down. Clear violations of affiliate network rules. My article provides video and packet log evidence. www.benedelman.org/phia-forced-...

The media absolutely screwed Ben on this story. He’s a hero—the only business school professor I’ve ever known who even considered fighting for the little guy, let alone who actually did—and did not deserve the treatment he received.

Ben Edelman@benedelman.org · 5mo ago

Many discussions on X including a closer look at the restaurateur who intentionally overcharged customers for years. Ex-partner says he hid income and drove a $279k SUV, while I cycled. Who's the bully? And tragedy: He offered drugs to a date, who declined. She was dead, overdose, the next morning.

Update in my lawsuit against Harvard: Judge ruled against me on all key points. FRB P&P is not a contract. I can’t prove H violated P&P. Any procedural violations didn't harm me bc Dean Nohria says he would not have recommended tenure regardless. My remarks: www.edelman-v-harvard.org/reflections-...

The HBS committee that evaluated me offered 13 negative quotes. Turns out just two witnesses contributed almost half these quotes (6/13). Two other quotes were falsified and are not found in interview notes. My new video critiques this sloppy work: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxRi...

Edelman v. Harvard - The Evidence Withheld

YouTube video by Ben Edelman

youtube.com

In response to Megalag's video and my article showing Honey not just failing to stand down, but affirmatively concealing that violation -- affiliate networks Rakuten and Impact have expelled and suspended Honey.

I posted Summary Judgment briefs and exhibits for Edelman v. Harvard. 1000+ pages of exhibits. Overall, these show the HBS “Faculty Review Board” not following the governing procedures, and not seriously trying. www.edelman-v-harvard.org/summary-judg... (1/11)

If you’re not following the Honey saga you should be. Excellent series of videos from MegaLag with @benedelman.org in the latest, absolutely insane, seemingly blatantly fraudulent behavior.

The Honey Scam is Worse Than I Thought

YouTube video by MegaLag

youtu.be

In partnership with MegaLag, new findings show Honey not only violated affiliate "stand-down" rules, but hid from testers -- using its privileged browser plugin status to read other sites’ cookies and infer who was testing. www.benedelman.org/honey-detect... (1/4)

What's going on with AppLovin? It's complicated mikeshields.substack.com/p/applovin-a...

AppLovin Appears to Be Installing Apps That People Don't Want Via Some Questionable Ad Practices

The Wall Street darling keeps having to answer questions

mikeshields.substack.com

How Adware Manipulates Attribution to Monetize a Merchant’s Own Traffic - VPT Blog - vptdigital.com/blog/how-adw...

Online marketing thought-leader Tye DeGrange interviewed me in his podcast Always Be Testing. Broad focus: affiliate marketing abuse -- why enforcement is hard, how incentives shape outcomes, what advertisers can do. open.spotify.com/episode/2oum...

#94 Fraud Protection : Lessons in Taking Down the Internet’s biggest fraudsters | Ben Edelman

Always Be Testing · Episode

open.spotify.com

Last week's spoliation filings in In re Google Digital Advertising Antitrust Litigation. Forceful criticism of Google's misconduct collecting facts from multiple cases. www.benedelman.org/google-disco...

In docket DOT-OST-0031 www.regulations.gov/docket/DOT-O... , passenger David Granet complains that his AA Systemwide Upgrades (earned for substantial flying on AA) expired at midnight Dallas time on the day of expiration. He lives in California and intended to apply them in the final hours. (1/5)

The monopoly round-up for the week is out. Why is Wall Street unconcerned over Google's antitrust losses? Probably because Google has generated an additional half a trillion in revenue while on trial for business methods a judge called illegal. Crime pays. www.thebignewsletter.com/p/monopoly-r...

Monopoly Round-Up: Google Generated $468 Billion Delaying Its Antitrust Trial

The Google and Meta trials are taking way too long, and both companies are garnering huge additional revenue as a result. Plus, fake trade deals, and Trump is running out of lawyers.

thebignewsletter.com

Feeling glum at the withdrawal of Mint from BOS-SEA. Believe last flight is April 29. Already gone from JFK-SEA. I was able to commute Boston-Seattle weekly, overnight both ways, for many months thanks to this unmatched product. @martysg.com, I hope you'll find a way to bring this back profitably!

The inimitable Edward Hasbrouck works through flying without Real-ID on May 7, 2025 and beyond. papersplease.org/wp/2025/04/2...

REAL-ID FAQ: What will happen at US airports on May 7, 2025? – Papers, Please!

The key thing to know is that — unless the TSA makes undisclosed changes to its procedures — air travelers with “noncompliant” ID on or after May 7, 2025, should be treated, and should be allowed to fly, the same way people with no ID fly today.

papersplease.org

Notable new passenger complaint to DOT: www.regulations.gov/document/DOT... . Guy exchanged credit card points for Virgin points, redeemed for parents & brother w/ same last name. Virgin claimed "fraud" and canceled the tickets. "Decision is final", they say. @petebuttigieg.bsky.social, we miss you.

Meta wants to argue that the Facebook app competes with YouTube. An uphill battle for sure. Below, @kint.bsky.social shows a notable FTC filing that tilts the odds even further against Meta.

Jason Kint@kint.bsky.social · last yr.

Bam. When FTC v Meta starts Monday, one key thing to watch is whether they will be able to convince the Court the FTC's relevant market definition, "personal social networking services" is bogus. One damaging exhibit Meta was trying to keep out of trial was just unsealed. 1/4

In other Judge Boasberg news, New York Times just filed to intervene on behalf of the public interest. They take a page out of US v Google in 2023 where Judge Mehta has reflected in hindsight that courtroom and documents were closed off unnecessarily. Bravo.

Strong complaint by a passenger who bought a ticket for travel on Japan Airlines... and, contrary to explicit statement in the booking process, was sold travel on AA. Screenshots indicate clear violation of codeshare disclosure rules. Details below.

Airline Information Research@airlineinfo.bsky.social · last yr.

Marc Barenberg v American Express Travel - Codeshare Disclosure Complaint: airlineinfo.com/ost27/ost030... #AmExTravel #Codeshare #Complaint

OK, Google. lol, Kent Walker.

@kint.bsky.social correctly points out two decisions criticizing Google spoliation. Plus two other cases where a decision is likely. And one where Google avoided a decision (because Viacom didn't pursue spoliation vigorously). Quotes & primary sources at www.benedelman.org/google-disco...

Jason Kint@kint.bsky.social · 2y ago

We now have 2 antitrust lawsuit decisions against Google where evidence spoliation (eg chat deleting) surfaced or impacted decision with another imminent. 2 more playing out in Courts, unsealing evidence continues today. I don't think this is a good thing to have on record. 1/2

DOT today fined Turkish Airlines for arbitrarily limiting baggage reimbursements in violation of Montreal Convention. DOT learned about this thanks to an excellent third-party complaint from Mirel Baumgarten, submitted using template and instructions on my site. www.benedelman.org/turkish-bag-...

wow. Upon Court order, incriminating exhibits were unsealed at 3:30am in an AI lawsuit against Meta. Once past a 'fake privilege,' it appears Zuckerberg approved the use of a highly controversial, pirated dataset. Note OpenAI, too? AI companies with no ethics or guardrails. /1

Many people watched MegaLag's excellent video about Honey claiming affiliate commissions not fairly earned. But this is more than a question of fairness. There are detailed contracts on point. benedelman.org/honey-breach...

California regulator CPUC required Uber to fingerprint drivers who transport unaccompanied minors ("Uber Teen"). Rather than do so, Uber suspended the service -- and blamed CPUC. My thoughts at www.benedelman.org/teen-safety-... (1/3)

bsky.app/profile/xjon... JonNYC posts about JetBlue Mint service cuts including JFK-SEA and BOS-SEA. These as routes where Mint should thrive -- competitors offer recliners; JetBlue has lie-flat beds. (In contrast, on JFK-LAX/SFO, competitors have lie-flat beds, so JetBlue's edge is smaller.) Sad.

JonNYC@xjonnyc.bsky.social · 2y ago

JetBlue network updates

For a deep dive on Google discovery violations, I read 5,000+ pages of litigation documents, then pulled out the most notable quotes from plaintiffs, Google, and G's employees. 6,000+ words of quotes at bit.ly/googledisc (1/6)