In a landmark resolution to one of the most disturbing corporate harassment cases in recent memory, eBay Inc. and several former executives have agreed to pay $55.7 million to settle civil claims brought by David and Ina Steiner—the Massachusetts couple subjected to a years-long, coordinated cyberstalking and intimidation campaign orchestrated by eBay employees. The six-year legal saga—spanning parallel criminal prosecutions, federal investigations, and intense media scrutiny—culminated in a comprehensive settlement announced this week.
Of the total, $48.7 million goes directly to the Steiners, founders and editors of *EcommerceBytes*, an independent trade publication serving online sellers. An additional $6 million will fund charitable contributions to nonprofits advancing press freedom, digital safety, and victims’ rights—including a significant portion designated for an organization dedicated to protecting journalists’ First Amendment rights. Notably, the agreement includes no confidentiality clauses, mandates a public statement from eBay, and incorporates individual settlements with certain employee defendants.
The harassment began in 2018 after then-CEO Devin Wenig publicly criticized Ina Steiner’s coverage of eBay and directed subordinates to counter what he termed “errors and bias” in her reporting. What followed was a systematic, clandestine campaign: employees created fake social media accounts, doxxed the couple’s home address, tailed them in rental vehicles—including a black van—and attempted to install a GPS tracker on their car. The Steiners received grotesque packages: live spiders and cockroaches, a bloody pig mask, a funeral wreath, pornographic magazines, and the book *Grief Diaries: Surviving Loss of a Spouse*—sent to David Steiner. Graphic threats to kill and terrorize them were delivered via email and direct messages.
Wenig, who stepped down in 2019, maintains he was unaware of the campaign’s scope or brutality. “It was deliberately done in secret and without my knowledge,” he stated in a comment to *Insurance Journal*, citing findings from a law firm review, a federal probe, and sworn testimony from eBay’s former head of security. He added: “The Steiners’ right to publish content was always protected by the First Amendment… I’m pleased that a meaningful portion of my settlement will go directly to a non-profit committed to protecting freedom of the press.”
The FBI’s involvement and subsequent criminal charges led to guilty pleas from six eBay employees and one contractor—underscoring the severity of corporate overreach into personal safety and free speech. For insurers, the case highlights escalating liability risks tied to workplace misconduct, executive accountability, and cyber-enabled harassment—prompting renewed focus on E&O, D&O, and cyber liability underwriting standards.
Source: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2024/04/15/737297.htm
Source: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2026/07/28/879306.htm
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