eBay cyberstalking settlement reaches $55.7 million with Steiners
eBay and three former executives will pay $55.7 million to settle claims over a 2019 harassment campaign against newsletter publishers.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
eBay and three former executives have agreed to a $55.7 million eBay cyberstalking settlement with David and Ina Steiner, a Massachusetts couple targeted in 2019 over their coverage of the company. The deal closes a civil case tied to a harassment campaign that also led to criminal convictions of former eBay employees.
The Steiners run EcommerceBytes, a newsletter that reported on eBay. According to CNBC and a settlement notice from the couple’s law firm, the payment resolves claims the Steiners brought against eBay and former company leaders, including former CEO Devin Wenig.
What was the eBay cyberstalking case about?
The case centered on a campaign directed at the Steiners after their newsletter published coverage of eBay. The lawsuit alleged that company executives and employees coordinated efforts meant to frighten and silence the couple because of that reporting.
According to the Steiners’ 2021 complaint, the campaign included threatening conduct, stalking and attempts to suppress their eBay coverage. The complaint accused eBay and its executives of trying to “intimidate, threaten to kill, torture, terrorize, stalk and silence” the couple and to “stifle” their reporting.
The conduct described in the case included sending the Steiners live insects, a bloody pig mask, a funeral wreath and other items. Those details became central to a case that drew scrutiny from federal prosecutors as well as from the civil courts.
Who is paying under the settlement?
The $55.7 million settlement includes payments from eBay and three former executives, according to the reported terms. eBay’s share is $46.15 million.
- Former CEO Devin Wenig will pay $2 million.
- Former global operations senior vice president Wendy Jones will pay $500,000.
- Former chief communications officer Steve Wymer will pay $50,000.
The settlement resolves the Steiners’ civil lawsuit, which they filed in 2021. The case named eBay and former executives as defendants and tied their alleged conduct to the couple’s newsletter coverage.
What did federal prosecutors do?
The Department of Justice charged seven former eBay employees in 2020 in connection with the harassment campaign. The Justice Department has said all seven were convicted.
Separately, eBay agreed in 2024 to pay a $3 million criminal penalty related to the case. That criminal resolution came before the civil settlement with the Steiners.
In a statement on its website, eBay said the conduct against Ina and David Steiner by former employees in 2019 was “wrong” and “reprehensible” and said it should not have occurred. The company also said it condemned the employees who carried out the misconduct and pleaded guilty to criminal charges.
The settlement brings the long-running legal fallout closer to an end, though the case has already produced criminal convictions, a company penalty and years of litigation over how eBay personnel responded to critical coverage.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.