Seven years after a targeted harassment campaign by eBay security personnel against a Massachusetts couple, the Silicon Valley company and three former executives have reached a $56 million settlement to resolve the dispute.
David and Ina Steiner, journalists based in Natick, Massachusetts, announced the settlement on their website Monday evening. The following day, eBay issued a statement confirming the agreement, describing the 2019 conduct involved as not reflective of the company’s culture or the behavior of its current global workforce. An eBay spokesperson did not dispute the financial details shared by the Steiners.
Under the settlement, eBay will pay the couple approximately $46.15 million and contribute an additional $6 million to various nonprofit organizations designated by the Steiners. Former eBay chief executive Devin Wenig and two other former executives will collectively pay $2.55 million. Mr. Wenig also pledged $1 million to a charity focused on protecting First Amendment rights, honoring Ina Steiner.
Mr. Wenig issued a statement asserting that the harassment occurred without his knowledge and expressed satisfaction that a portion of his payment would support press freedom causes. Representatives for eBay and the other former executives did not respond to requests for further comment.
The Steiners emphasized in a brief interview that their pursuit of the case extended beyond financial compensation, highlighting their intention to expose the misuse of power by corporate executives shielded from accountability. Ina Steiner, who manages their website EcommerceBytes, voiced concerns about how corporate security resources can be weaponized against critics.
The controversy traces back to the spring of 2019, during a period when eBay was under pressure from an activist hedge fund. A set of investigative articles by Ms. Steiner—including one focusing on a bar constructed on eBay’s campus by Mr. Wenig—allegedly angered company executives, according to evidence disclosed by prosecutors.
Subsequent reporting and the couple’s 2021 lawsuit unveiled chilling details of the harassment campaign. Text messages obtained by authorities revealed Mr. Wenig instructing his communications chief to “take her down,” which was then relayed to the security team leader with directions to do “whatever it takes.” The Steiners were subjected to anonymous deliveries such as live cockroaches, a bloody pig mask, a funeral wreath, and a book about coping with the loss of a spouse—messages with menacing undertones implying imminent harm. The operation escalated to the point where the security team planned to install a tracking device on the couple’s vehicle, but the plot was ultimately thwarted.
In 2020, Andrew Lelling, then the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts, characterized the episode as a “systematic campaign—fueled by the resources of a Fortune 500 company—to emotionally and psychologically terrorize this middle-aged couple... to deter them from writing bad things about eBay online.” Seven members of the security team pleaded guilty to charges related to the campaign, with several serving prison sentences. However, no executives faced criminal charges, a point of frustration for the Steiners, who maintain that the leadership initiated the operation.
Further legal action came in 2024 when the Department of Justice charged eBay with stalking, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice. These charges were dismissed under a deferred prosecution agreement, with the company paying a $3 million fine.
The Steiners’ ordeal and advocacy efforts are highlighted in the recent documentary “Whatever It Takes.” While the settlement foregoes the spectacle of a trial, the couple expressed general satisfaction with the outcome. “We wanted to find the truth,” said Ms. Steiner. “As victims you need to know.”