eBay has announced a settlement with a Massachusetts couple who were subjected to targeted stalking and malicious harassment in 2019. The company, along with its former chief executive and several other executives, will pay a combined total of nearly $56 million.

Ina Steiner and David Steiner operate a popular e-commerce news blog. Their frequent critical posts about eBay drew the ire of the company's senior management. On August 9, 2021, in San Jose, California, the eBay headquarters logo was displayed as the company and several former executives reached a settlement to resolve a bizarre stalking and harassment case. The victims were the Steiners of Massachusetts. The Steiners' attorney stated in an announcement that the couple endured a highly targeted intimidation and harassment campaign in 2019, with the clear intent of forcing them to stop their reporting. The couple runs the e-commerce news site eCommercebytes, which is widely followed by online sellers. The site frequently published critical content about eBay, and its tone and viewpoints angered many eBay executives. In 2024, a criminal complaint filed by federal prosecutors revealed extensive communications: several eBay executives had discussed Ina Steiner, with former CEO Devin Wenig even leaving a comment to "take her down." The Steiners received a series of online threats, and their home was bombarded with strange packages, including live insects, funeral wreaths, a blood-smeared pig mask, and a book about coping with widowhood. Furthermore, former eBay employees conducted long-term surveillance of the couple and attempted to install a GPS tracker on their vehicle to monitor their movements around the clock.

Settlement Details

This settlement resolves a civil lawsuit filed in 2021. The payment is broken down as follows: eBay will pay approximately $46.1 million; Wenig will contribute $2 million; a former eBay senior vice president of operations will pay $500,000; and a former chief communications officer will pay $50,000. eBay and Wenig have also committed to making donations to several charitable organizations. As part of the settlement agreement, eBay is required to issue a public statement. The company stated that the payment is intended to make amends and properly compensate the Steiners. In its announcement, eBay said: "We have consistently acknowledged that the actions of former employees against the Steiners in 2019 were deeply wrong and reprehensible, and should never have happened. We strongly condemn all employees involved in this matter, who have pleaded guilty." eBay stated that such egregious behavior is not a reflection of its corporate culture. Following the incident, the company underwent a management overhaul and comprehensively improved its rules, procedures, risk controls, and employee compliance training. A total of seven former eBay employees have pleaded guilty to charges related to the harassment conspiracy. James Baugh, a former senior director of security at eBay, was sentenced to nearly five years in prison. Wenig was not charged criminally. He told the Boston Globe that the entire harassment campaign was secretly carried out by subordinates without his knowledge. The Steiners' attorney added that other employees named in the civil lawsuit have already reached separate settlements.