eBay settles harassment case with $56 million payment
In a high-profile legal settlement, eBay has agreed to pay $55.7 million along with three former executives as part of a resolution in a harassment and cyberstalking case involving the Steiner couple from Massachusetts. The incident occurred in 2019 when then-current eBay employees allegedly sent disturbing items such as live insects, a bloody pig mask, and a funeral wreath to David and Ina Steiner due to their coverage of eBay through their newsletter EcommerceBytes. The Steiners filed a lawsuit against eBay and its former executives—including ex-CEO Devin Wenig—in 2021. The case revealed that the harassment campaign was intended to intimidate, threaten, and silence them over their reporting on the company. In 2020, seven former employees were charged by the Department of Justice in connection with this campaign; all have since been convicted. The settlement includes $46.15 million from eBay itself, along with contributions ranging from $2 million to $50,000 from Wenig and other executives involved. Additionally, eBay will donate $6 million to nonprofit organizations.
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Topics: cyberstalking eBay harassment legal case settlement