In the ever-evolving world of online commerce, one story has sparked significant conversation and concern: a group of influential content creators has filed a class-action lawsuit against PayPal, alleging deceptive practices involving their Honey browser extension. This situation opens up a can of worms about the often ambiguous relationships between tech companies, influencers, and consumers. Let’s dive into what’s happening!

The Allegations: A Clash of Giants

The lawsuit, filed in San Jose U.S. District Court, accuses PayPal, a tech titan with a market valuation of $87 billion, of employing “deceitful and clandestine” methods that divert millions of dollars in commissions from influencers to themselves. Creators like Marques Brownlee and the world-renowned MrBeast are reportedly calling out PayPal for undermining their livelihoods through what they describe as “fraudulent business practices.”

Honey, which PayPal purchased for $4 billion in 2020, is marketed as a free coupon-finding extension that helps online shoppers snag the best deals. With around 17 million users relying on its services, Honey appears to be a shopper’s best friend. However, the lawsuit contends that while consumers might save, influencers could lose—massively.

How It Works: The Fine Print of Affiliate Marketing

For the uninitiated, content creators typically earn a commission through affiliate marketing. When a viewer clicks on an influencer’s unique link—presumably shared via social media—and makes a purchase, the influencer earns a commission. However, the lawsuit claims that when Honey is involved, that commission doesn’t always end up in the influencers’ pockets.

The core of the allegations lies in how Honey purportedly operates. If a viewer clicks an influencer’s link but uses Honey to search for discounts, the extension may divert the sale credit to PayPal, effectively robbing the influencer of their rightful cut. According to the lawsuit, this issue persists even if Honey fails to find any coupon codes and the transaction is completed anyway.

A Ripple Effect: Implications for E-Commerce

Legal expert Josh Sanford, representing the plaintiffs, expressed that although PayPal has contributed significantly to the growth of e-commerce, such practices could fundamentally erode trust between vendors and consumers. It raises essential questions about transparency and fairness in online transactions. If consumers can’t be sure who is benefitting from their online purchases, it could damage the fabric of the influencer economy.

In response, PayPal has publicly disputed the lawsuit’s claims, insisting Honey follows industry standards and practices, including last-click attribution, which is used by numerous brands. The company maintains that Honey provides genuine value for consumers seeking savings while insisting that they promote fair dealings.

Moving Forward: What Can Consumers Do?

As the legal battle heats up, many creators are advising their followers to uninstall the Honey extension. With reports suggesting that over 3 million users may have already jumped ship, some consumers are reconsidering the convenience of coupon-finding in light of allegations of unfair practices.

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While users may still benefit from Honey’s features, it’s essential to weigh whether the potential savings are worth the risk of undermining the very creators we love and support. While Honey hasn’t been found guilty yet, the weight of these allegations casts a long shadow over its reputation.

A Community Response

In light of this controversy, many in the online community are rallying around the affected creators. From YouTube videos urging viewers to uninstall Honey to discussions across social media platforms, influencers are coming together to ensure their voices—and the interests of their communities—are heard.

As this story unfolds, it not only shines a light on the potentially murky world of affiliate marketing but also highlights the power dynamics at play in the tech and creator economies. As consumers, we should remain vigilant, prioritize transparency, and support our favorite creators while they navigate these challenges.

Stay tuned as this story develops, and remember to check your browser extensions! You might just be helping your favorite influencer in your own small way.

Related Links:

Tom’s Guide: https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/software/honey-scandal-explained

Dexerto: https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/why-is-honey-getting-sued-legaleagle-class-action-paypal-lawsuit-explained-3021021

STM Daily News is a vibrant news blog dedicated to sharing the brighter side of human experiences. Emphasizing positive, uplifting stories, the site focuses on delivering inspiring, informative, and well-researched content. With a commitment to accurate, fair, and responsible journalism, STM Daily News aims to foster a community of readers passionate about positive change and engaged in meaningful conversations. Join the movement and explore stories that celebrate the positive impacts shaping our world.

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After a long-awaited journey, the extension of the A Line from Azusa to Pomona is officially complete and set to usher in a new era of public transportation in the San Gabriel Valley. This extensive 9.1-mile extension, which has taken over five years to construct, is positioned to enhance connectivity and mobility for residents and commuters alike.

The A Line extension is set to open to the public this summer!

A Monumental Achievement

As reported in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune on January 3, 2025, the $1.5 billion project was officially handed over to LA Metro last week. This extension includes four new stations in Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, and Pomona. The construction involved overcoming significant challenges, including health protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic and a series of unusual weather patterns. Despite these obstacles, the project was completed within its scheduled timeline, showcasing the dedication of the construction teams from Kiewit-Parsons (KPJV) under the oversight of the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority.

Improving Accessibility

This extension not only connects the existing light-rail system but also extends the A Line’s total length to a noteworthy 60.8 miles, solidifying its status as the longest light-rail line in the world. Current ridership estimates suggest that the extension could lead to over 11,000 additional weekday boardings, significantly contributing to the overall ridership numbers. As of November 2024, the A Line saw an average of 70,425 daily boardings—a notable increase from the previous year.

City officials and transit advocates view this development as an important asset for the region. “This extension will solidify Los Angeles’ public transit system, providing a viable alternative to those stuck in traffic,” said Eli Lipmen, executive director of Move LA.

A Step Towards Greater Connectivity

The Pomona extension is strategically significant, as it brings the A Line closer to San Bernardino County. While not quite reaching the county line, the Pomona station is sufficiently close for many residents from western San Bernardino cities like Montclair, Ontario, Upland, and Chino to benefit from this light-rail alternative. Many of these residents will find it convenient to park at the Pomona station and travel to key job and entertainment destinations in Los Angeles, Pasadena, and beyond.

Montclair City Councilmember Bill Ruh emphasized the importance of this link, noting how it enables residents to access transportation services more seamlessly than ever before. The extension is paving the way for expanded public transit options, which are essential for families in the Inland Empire.

A New Transportation Hub

The Pomona Station holds particular significance as it will also connect with the Metrolink San Bernardino line, creating a crucial interchange for travelers. This synergy between the two systems is expected to elevate passenger traffic on Metrolink, catering to an approximate increase of over 2,000 daily passengers.

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“Connecting these lines gives people more options for accessibility and commuting,” said Habib Balian, CEO of the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority. “It allows for a travel experience that wasn’t available before.”

Future Prospects

Notably, this extension is just the beginning. Plans are already underway for an additional 3.2-mile extension from Pomona to Claremont and Montclair, anticipated to be completed by 2030. This initiative will broaden the A Line’s reach further into San Bernardino County and provide a meaningful alternative for commuters navigating the busy 210, 10, and 60 freeways.

As residents begin to utilize the new service, the Pomona extension will likely drive demand for additional transit options in the Inland Empire. Bart Reed, executive director of The Transit Coalition, noted the anticipated ripple effect in transportation services in the region.

The upcoming opening of the A Line extension from Azusa to Pomona marks an important step forward for public transportation in Los Angeles and its surrounding areas. By enhancing connectivity, providing more options for commuters, and anticipating future growth, this extension promises to offer significant benefits for communities in the San Gabriel Valley and beyond. As we prepare for the service to commence later this summer, residents can look forward to a more integrated, efficient public transit system that supports their daily travel needs.

Related Links:

https://foothillgoldline.org/

Foothill Gold Line from Glendora to Pomona Reaches Substantial Completion The $1.5 Billion Four-Station Light Rail Project is Completed On Time and On Budget Press Release(PDF)

STM Daily News is a vibrant news blog dedicated to sharing the brighter side of human experiences. Emphasizing positive, uplifting stories, the site focuses on delivering inspiring, informative, and well-researched content. With a commitment to accurate, fair, and responsible journalism, STM Daily News aims to foster a community of readers passionate about positive change and engaged in meaningful conversations. Join the movement and explore stories that celebrate the positive impacts shaping our world.

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Ana Lucia Araujo, Howard University

During the era of slavery in the Americas, enslaved men, women and children also enjoyed the holidays. Slave owners usually gave them bigger portions of food, gifted them alcohol and provided extra days of rest.

Those gestures, however, were not made out of generosity.

As abolitionist, orator and diplomat Frederick Douglass explained, slave owners were trying to keep enslaved people under control by plying them with better meals and more downtime, in the hopes of preventing escapes and rebellions.

Most of the time, it worked.

But as I discuss in my recent book, “Humans in Shackles: An Atlantic History of Slavery,” many enslaved people were onto their owners and used this brief period of respite to plan escapes and start revolts.

Feasting, frolicking and fiddling

Most enslaved people in the Americas adhered to the Christian calendar – and celebrated Christmas – since either Catholicism or Protestantism predominated, from Birmingham, Alabama, to Brazil.

Consider the example of Solomon Northup, whose tragic story became widely known in the film “12 Years A Slave.” Northup was born free in the state of New York but was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Louisiana in 1841.

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In his narrative, Northup explained that his owner and their neighbors gave their slaves between three and six days off during the holidays. He described this period as “carnival season with the children of bondage,” a time for “feasting, frolicking, and fiddling.”

According to Northup, each year a slave owner in central Louisiana’s Bayou Boeuf offered a Christmas dinner attended by as many as 500 enslaved people from neighboring plantations. After spending the entire year consuming meager meals, this marked a rare opportunity to indulge in several kinds of meats, vegetables, fruits, pies and tarts.

There’s evidence of holiday celebrations since the early days of slavery in the Americas. In the British colony of Jamaica, a Christmas masquerade called Jonkonnu has taken place since the 17th century. One 19th-century artist depicted the celebration, painting four enslaved men playing musical instruments, including a container covered with animal skin, along with an instrument made from an animal’s jawbone.

In the 1861 narrative of her life in slavery, abolitionist Harriet Jacobs described a similar masquerade in North Carolina.

“Every child rises early on Christmas morning to see the Johnkannaus,” she wrote. “Without them, Christmas would be shorn of its greatest attraction.”

On Christmas Day, she continued, nearly 100 enslaved men paraded through the plantation wearing colorful costumes with cows’ tails fastened to their backs and horns decorating their heads. They went door to door, asking for donations to buy food, drinks and gifts. They sang, danced and played musical instruments they had fashioned themselves – drums made of sheepskin, metal triangles and an instrument fashioned from the jawbone of a horse, mule or donkey.

It’s the most wonderful time to escape

Yet beneath the revelry, there was an undercurrent of angst during the holidays for enslaved men, women and children.

In the American South, enslavers often sold or hired out their slaves in the first days of the year to pay their debts. During the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, many enslaved men, women and children were consumed with worry over the possibility of being separated from their loved ones.

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At the same time, slave owners and their overseers were often distracted – if not drunk – during the holidays. It was a prime opportunity to plan an escape.

John Andrew Jackson was owned by a Quaker family of planters in South Carolina. After being separated from his wife and child, he planned to escape during the Christmas holiday of 1846. He managed to flee to Charleston. From there, he went north and eventually reached New Brunswick in Canada. Sadly, he was never able to reunite with his enslaved relatives.

Even Harriet Tubman took advantage of the holiday respite. Five years after she successfully escaped from the Maryland plantation where she was enslaved, she returned on Christmas Day in 1854 to save her three brothers from a life of bondage.

‘Tis the season for rebellion

Across the Americas, the holiday break also offered a good opportunity to plot rebellions.

In 1811, enslaved and free people of color planned a series of revolts in Cuba, in what became known as the Aponte Rebellion. The scheming and preparations took place between Christmas Day and the Day of Kings, a Jan. 6 Catholic holiday commemorating the three magi who visited the infant Jesus. Inspired by the Haitian Revolution, free people of color and enslaved people joined forces to try to end slavery on the island.

In April, the Cuban government eventually smashed the rebellion.

In Jamaica, enslaved people followed suit. Samuel Sharpe, an enslaved Baptist lay deacon, called a general strike on Christmas Day 1831 to demand wages and better working conditions for the enslaved population.

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Two nights later, a group of enslaved people set fire to a trash house at an estate in Montego Bay. The fire spread, and what was supposed to be a strike instead snowballed into a violent insurrection. The Christmas Rebellion – or Baptist War, as it became known – was the largest slave revolt in Jamaica’s history. For nearly two months, thousands of slaves battled British forces until they were eventually subdued. Sharpe was hanged in Montego Bay on May 23, 1832.

After news of the Christmas Rebellion and its violent repression reached Britain, antislavery activists ramped up their calls to ban slavery. The following year, Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act, which prohibited slavery in the British Empire.

Yes, the week between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day offered a chance to feast or plot rebellions.

But more importantly, it served as a rare window of opportunity for enslaved men, women and children to reclaim their humanity.

Ana Lucia Araujo, Professor of History, Howard University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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The Bridge is a section of the STM Daily News Blog meant for diversity, offering real news stories about bona fide community efforts to perpetuate a greater good. The purpose of The Bridge is to connect the divides that separate us, fostering understanding and empathy among different groups. By highlighting positive initiatives and inspirational actions, The Bridge aims to create a sense of unity and shared purpose. This section brings to light stories of individuals and organizations working tirelessly to promote inclusivity, equality, and mutual respect. Through these narratives, readers are encouraged to appreciate the richness of diverse perspectives and to participate actively in building stronger, more cohesive communities.

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