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Mass. couple agrees to $56M settlement in a case tied to eBay's bizarre harassment campaign
WCVB • • business
Key Points:
- A Massachusetts couple, David and Ina Steiner, who faced threats and bizarre deliveries from former eBay employees, have reached a $56 million settlement with the company.
- The Steiners, who run the e-commerce newsletter EcommerceBytes, alleged a conspiracy by former eBay workers to intimidate and silence them due to their critical reporting on the company.
- The harassment campaign included cyberstalking, death threats, in-person surveillance, and disturbing anonymous deliveries such as live insects, a funeral wreath, and a bloody pig mask.
- Seven former eBay employees were federally charged in 2020 for their roles in the coordinated harassment, with most pleading guilty and receiving prison or home confinement sentences.
- In 2024, eBay agreed to pay a $3 million criminal penalty under a deferred prosecution agreement, acknowledging the wrongdoing of its former employees and committing to address the harm caused to the Steiners.
