eBay and some former executives have agreed to a $56 million settlement with David and Ina Steiner, a couple who faced a harassment campaign in retaliation for their critical online commentary about the company. The Steiners operated the website and newsletter EcommerceBytes, which had published content critical of eBay.
The settlement stems from harassment that occurred in 2019, orchestrated by several former eBay executives, including the company's then-chief executive. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, seven former eBay executives pleaded guilty to criminal charges related to the harassment between 2022 and 2024. An FBI agent described the actions as an "unprecedented, relentless, and over-the-top harassment campaign."
Actions taken against the Steiners included threatening messages, the sending of a funeral wreath, and the delivery of a package containing a costume mask covered in pig's blood. Some individuals also visited the couple's Massachusetts home, attempting to place a tracking device on their car. Twitter messages, now known as X, were also used in the harassment campaign.
As part of the resolution, eBay entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice and agreed to pay a $3 million fine. The company is providing the majority of the settlement to the Steiners, including $6 million designated for various non-profit organizations. The former CEO, Devin Wenig, is personally contributing $1 million toward the settlement. His contribution is earmarked for an unnamed charity focused on protecting First Amendment rights, to be gifted in Ina Steiner's name, according to the couple's legal representatives.
Wenig departed eBay in 2019. Internal communications revealed a text message from Wenig to another executive regarding Ina Steiner stating, "Take her down."
Christopher Murphy of Scalli Murphy Law PC, representing the Steiners, stated that the resolution "sends a clear message that corporations and their executives cannot engage in this type of misconduct without facing significant consequences." In a statement, eBay acknowledged the reprehensible nature of the actions by former employees and condemned their conduct, admitting to an "unprofessional tone in internal communications."