eBay is set to compensate a couple from Massachusetts with almost $56 million after they alleged that the firm attempted to intimidate them into ceasing their reporting through a series of threats, stalking, the use of live cockroaches, and a Halloween mask resembling a bloody pig.
The settlement, revealed on Tuesday, brings to a close more than six years of legal battles, both criminal and civil, initiated by David and Ina Steiner, who are the founders of the e-commerce newsletter EcommerceBytes.
“David and I were on the same page that this settlement should and must be made public—as victims who want to prevent something like this from ever happening to anyone else, and as reporters who believe in transparency,” Ina Steiner stated. “We hope that this case will serve as a deterrent.”
What we know about compensation
The arrangement entails $48.7 million in compensation, in addition to $7 million designated for charitable donations, which includes contributions to First Amendment organizations, and it lacks any confidentiality stipulation.
“We believe this resolution sends a clear message that corporations and their executives cannot engage in this type of misconduct without facing significant consequences,” Christopher Murphy, the Steiners’ attorney, said in a statement.
Ebay issues apology, says Steiners case ‘should never have happened’
Ebay expressed in a statement that the incident involving the Steiners was “wrong, reprehensible and should never have happened”.
“We continue to extend our deepest apologies to the Steiners,” the firm stated. “This agreement is consistent with our commitment to fairly compensate the Steiners and fulfills our efforts to make things right.”
The Steiners reported that senior employees at eBay attempted to “intimidate, threaten to kill, torture, terrorize, stalk, and silence them” in a bid to “stifle their reporting on eBay.”
Seven eBay employees sent to jail
Following the criminal charges filed in 2020, seven eBay employees were sentenced to prison terms of up to five years for their involvement in the harassment campaign.
Prosecutors have asserted that the intention was to silence them after senior executives regarded their newsletter, EcommerceBytes, as critical of the organization. The campaign initiated after the then CEO, Devin Wenig, texted Steve Wymer, the chief communications officer at that time, in August 2019, declaring that it was time to “take her down,” referring to Ina Steiner, according to both prosecutors and the Steiners. eBay was subsequently charged criminally and agreed in 2024 to pay a $3 million penalty.
