eBay and former executives will pay $56 million to a couple targeted by a harassment campaign in 2019 following their critical reporting on the company.

eBay and several former executives have reached a $56 million settlement with David and Ina Steiner, who operated the EcommerceBytes website. The settlement concludes a civil lawsuit stemming from a 2019 harassment campaign orchestrated by company employees in retaliation for the couple's online criticism of the firm. Seven former executives previously pleaded guilty to criminal charges related to the campaign between 2022 and 2024.

Details of the Harassment Campaign

The harassment campaign included sending the couple threatening items such as a costume mask covered in pig's blood, a book on surviving the death of a spouse, and a funeral wreath. Executives also sent harassing messages on social media and attempted to install a tracking device on the couple's car at their Massachusetts home. An FBI agent described the actions as an "unprecedented, relentless, and over-the-top harassment campaign."

Involvement of Former CEO Devin Wenig

Former eBay CEO Devin Wenig, who left the company in 2019, is personally contributing $1 million toward the settlement. This contribution will be donated to a charity dedicated to protecting First Amendment rights in Ina Steiner's name. In 2019, Wenig sent a text message to a communications executive regarding Ina Steiner stating, "Take her down," which a representative later claimed referred to a public relations strategy.

Legal and Corporate Consequences

In addition to the civil settlement, eBay previously entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice and paid a $3 million criminal fine. The company acknowledged the actions of its former employees were "wrong" and "reprehensible," while also admitting to an "unprofessional tone" in internal communications among its former leadership.