Motorola says affiliate hijacking of Amazon app was ‘unintended’ | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyNotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.NotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Motorola says affiliate hijacking of Amazon app was ‘unintended’NotificationsNotificationsComments DrawerNotificationsCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...TechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechGadgetsCloseGadgetsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GadgetsNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsMotorola says affiliate hijacking of Amazon app was ‘unintended’The company says its phones will no longer install affiliate cookies before opening the Amazon app.The company says its phones will no longer install affiliate cookies before opening the Amazon app.by Dominic PrestonCloseDominic PrestonNews EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Dominic PrestonMay 27, 2026, 4:42 PM UTCLinkShareGiftThe 2026 Razr Ultra is one of the Motorola phones that exhibited the ‘unintended’ redirects. Photo: Allison Johnson / The VergeDominic PrestonCloseDominic PrestonPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Dominic Preston is a news editor with over a decade’s experience in journalism. He previously worked at Android Police and Tech Advisor.Motorola says that recently discovered behavior, which saw some of its phones sending users to an affiliate tracking website before opening the Amazon app, was “unintended” and has been “promptly corrected.” The company didn’t explain how the error was introduced in the first place.“Recently, Motorola acted quickly to resolve an issue that was identified, which caused some users in the US launching the Amazon Shopping app to be routed through a web tracking link before opening the app. This behavior was unintended and resulted in an inconsistent user experience,” Allison Yi, Motorola’s executive director of product management, told The Verge in a statement. “Upon identifying the issue, we promptly corrected the routing configuration. Users can now expect all installed apps to launch directly as intended.”The unusual situation was first reported by 9to5Google after it was spotted by a Reddit user. On opening the Amazon app the phone would first briefly open the phone’s browser before returning to Amazon. Strangest of all, users were sent to a website that appears to be linked to fashion influencer Kira Abboud, though isn’t actually referenced on any of her other pages. That split-second visit was enough to install a tracking cookie however, which in turn added an affiliate code to the user’s shopping session — though, again, not one that matches any of Abboud’s other content.The code wouldn’t make any direct difference to the end user, but could theoretically allow whoever installed it to receive a small percentage of any purchase that was made. The Verge uses similar Amazon affiliate links for some of our shopping content, though always with a disclaimer, rather than installed covertly.Yi blamed the redirect on “an app search and suggestion experience for the Moto App Launcher” co-developed with Device Native. It was Device Native’s website that Reddit user Trypocopris noticed was being queried by the phone behind the scenes before users were sent to kira-abboud.com. The company says on its website that it delivers “personalized, on-device mobile ad serving without sharing user data.” Amusingly, until yesterday Device Native had a public page listing the documentation for its Motorola integration. That page has now been taken offline, though not before the Internet Archive made a copy.Motorola did not comment on how the “issue” was introduced, or whether Device Native was to blame, but did reiterate its commitment to user privacy. “Motorola takes user experience, privacy, and platform integrity seriously and will continue to closely monitor the system to ensure expected behavior across devices,” Yi said.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Dominic PrestonCloseDominic PrestonNews EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Dominic PrestonAndroidCloseAndroidPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AndroidGadgetsCloseGadgetsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GadgetsGoogleCloseGooglePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GoogleMobileCloseMobilePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All MobileMotorolaCloseMotorolaPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All MotorolaNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsPhonesClosePhonesPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PhonesTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechMost PopularMost PopularJony Ive’s Ferrari looks nothing like a FerrariGoogle Health is here, but a lot of people want their Fitbit app back insteadUber president says AI spending is getting ‘harder to justify’You’re about to feel the AI money squeezeSony’s sloppy Spider-Man universe gets even messier with Spider-NoirThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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Motorola acknowledged that a behavior involving the affiliate hijacking of the Amazon application on their phones was unintentional and has since been corrected. The issue arose when some phones would route users through an affiliate tracking website before launching the Amazon application, which resulted in an inconsistent user experience for users in the United States. Allison Yi, Motorola’s executive director of product management, stated that upon identifying the error, the company promptly corrected the routing configuration, ensuring that installed applications now launch directly as intended.

The unusual occurrence was brought to light when 9to5Google reported it after a Reddit user observed the behavior. The mechanism involved the phone briefly opening its browser before returning to Amazon, leading to a momentary visit to a website linked to fashion influencer Kira Abboud, where a tracking cookie was installed. This action subsequently added an affiliate code to the user's shopping session, although this code did not directly impact the end user. Theoretically, this mechanism allowed the entity that installed the tracker to receive a small percentage of any purchases made.

Motorola attributed the root cause of the redirection to an app search and suggestion experience for the Moto App Launcher, which was a collaboration with Device Native. It was Device Native’s website that was queried behind the scenes before the phone was sent to kira-abboud.com. The company has previously maintained that its platform delivers personalized, on-device mobile ad serving without sharing user data. While Motorola did not specify how the error was introduced or assign blame to Device Native, the company reiterated its commitment to user privacy, platform integrity, and continuous monitoring to ensure expected cross-device behavior.