eBay and Ex-CEO Settle Corporate Cyberstalking Lawsuit Brought by Journalists
Ina and David Steiner will receive compensation after a 2019 campaign to silence their critiques of the company.
E-commerce giant eBay and several of its top former executives have agreed to pay tens of millions of dollars to resolve a civil lawsuit stemming from an aggressive corporate cyberstalking campaign against two independent journalists.
The settlement compensates Massachusetts publishers Ina and David Steiner, who operate the e-commerce trade publication EcommerceBytes. Under the terms of the agreement, eBay will pay $46.15 million directly to the couple. Former Chief Executive Officer Devin Wenig will personally contribute $2 million, while former executive Wendy Jones will pay $500,000 and former executive Steve Wymer will contribute $50,000.
Beyond direct payments to the couple, eBay committed $6 million in charitable contributions to non-profit groups, while Wenig will donate $1 million in Ina Steiner’s name to an organization focused on protecting First Amendment rights.
The agreement concludes years of litigation following a campaign of digital and physical harassment that targeted the journalists in 2019. The campaign was triggered by critical articles published on EcommerceBytes regarding eBay’s corporate operations and leadership. Executive communications uncovered during federal investigations showed Wenig directing communications staff to “take her down,” leading security personnel to initiate actions designed to intimidate the couple.
The harassment involved online threats as well as disturbing physical deliveries sent to the couple’s home, including live cockroaches, a bloody pig mask, a funeral wreath, and literature regarding spousal loss. Seven members of eBay’s former security team were subsequently prosecuted and pleaded guilty to federal harassment charges in cases brought by the U.S. Department of Justice.
“This case was always about more than obtaining financial recovery,” said Christopher Murphy of Scalli Murphy Law, who represented the Steiners, noting that the primary goal was exposing misconduct, shielding journalists, and deterring corporate overreach.
Addressing the resolution, eBay described the 2019 conduct of its former employees as reprehensible and inconsistent with its current culture, stating that the company has since appointed new executive leadership and instituted strengthened internal controls, governance policies, and employee ethics programs.
