eBay must pay millions to critical bloggers following aggressive intimidation

eBay and three former executives have reached an out-of-court settlement totaling $55.7 million (more than 51 million euros) with David and Ina Steiner, a couple residing in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. In 2019, the bloggers were the victims of a large-scale harassment and stalking campaign carried out by employees of the auction platform, in retaliation for their critical newsletter, EcommerceBytes.

This settlement, announced on July 27, 2026, comes seven years after the events took place and one week before the scheduled trial. eBay will pay $46,15 million to the couple and donate $6 million to nonprofit organizations. Former CEO Devin Wenig will personally pay $2 million to the Steiners and an additional $1 million to a foundation dedicated to protecting freedom of speech, named after Ina Steiner’. Two other former executives— Wendy Jones ($500,000) and Steve Wymer ($50,000)—are also contributing.

Criticism of eBay was not well received

The “campaign of terror” began after the Steiners published articles critical ofeBay. According to the indictment, employees sent them, among other things, live insects (cockroaches, fly larvae, spiders), a mask smeared with pig’s blood, a funeral wreath, and a book on how to cope with the death of a partner. Some attempted to install a GPS tracker on their car and traveled to their home in Natick, Massachusetts.

Plea agreements

Seven former eBay employees pleaded guilty to criminal offenses committed between 2022 and 2024. eBay, for its part, entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice in 2024 and paid a $3 million fine. Moreover, the remarkably transparent agreement they ultimately reached contains no confidentiality clause, allowing the Steiners to speak freely about the case. Their attorney, Christopher Murphy, described the agreement as “a signal that companies and their executives cannot act this way with impunity.”

eBay stated:“What was done to the Steiners was unacceptable, reprehensible, and should never have happened.” The company distances itself from the “unprofessional tone” used in internal communications by former CEO Wenig, who as recently as 2019 sent the message“Take her down” in reference to Ina Steiner.