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eBay reaches $56m settlement with bloggers over harassment allegations
The deal follows a 2019 harassment campaign tied to critical eCommerceBytes newsletter coverage, and comes as eBay previously paid $3m under a DOJ deferred prosecution agreement.
eBay has agreed to pay $56 million to David and Ina Steiner to settle a lawsuit alleging a harassment campaign carried out by former eBay executives, after the couple ran a newsletter and website, EcommerceBytes, that was sometimes critical of the company, according to BBC Business. The settlement relates to alleged retaliation over harassment the Steiners said they faced in 2019, including threats and other actions tied to their online criticism.
The U.S. Department of Justice previously reported that seven former eBay executives pleaded guilty between 2022 and 2024 to criminal charges connected to the conduct. BBC Business says prosecutors described actions that included sending the Steiners a costume mask covered in pigs blood, a book about surviving a spouse's death, and other threatening steps.
BBC Business reports that the alleged harassment also included eBay executives sending a funeral wreath, harassing messages on Twitter, now known as X, and even visiting the couple's Massachusetts home in an attempt to install a tracking device on their car. An FBI agent involved in the investigation said in 2024 the actions amounted to an "unprecedented, relentless, and over-the-top harassment campaign."
The outlet also reports that eBay faced criminal charges and entered a deferred prosecution agreement with the DOJ, agreeing to pay a $3 million fine. While eBay is paying most of the settlement, former CEO Wenig is personally contributing $1 million, with part of that money earmarked for a charity focused on protecting First Amendment rights, to be gifted in Ina Steiner's name.