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eBay agrees $56m settlement with bloggers over harassment case
BBC • • nation
Key Points:
- eBay and several former executives have agreed to pay David and Ina Steiner $56 million following a 2019 harassment campaign in retaliation for the couple's online criticism of the company.
- The harassment included sending threatening items such as a pig's blood-covered mask, a book on surviving the death of a spouse, a funeral wreath, and attempts to install a tracking device on the Steiners' car.
- Seven former eBay executives pleaded guilty to criminal charges related to the harassment between 2022 and 2024, with eBay also entering a deferred prosecution agreement and paying a $3 million fine.
- Former CEO Devin Wenig personally contributed $1 million to the settlement, which will go to a charity protecting First Amendment rights, while he denied direct involvement in the harassment, describing a relevant text message as a PR strategy.
- Legal representatives emphasized that the settlement sends a strong message that corporate misconduct and harassment will have serious consequences, and eBay acknowledged the wrongdoing as reprehensible.
