eBay and former executives agree to roughly $56 million settlement with Massachusetts couple in harassment case
The Facts
- eBay and three former executives agreed to settle the Steiners' civil lawsuit for about $55.7 million to $56 million.
- The plaintiffs are David and Ina Steiner, a Massachusetts couple who run the EcommerceBytes newsletter and website covering e-commerce.
- The lawsuit stemmed from a 2019 campaign by former eBay employees to harass and intimidate the Steiners in retaliation for their coverage of eBay.
- Multiple former eBay employees were prosecuted or convicted in connection with the campaign before this civil settlement was reached.
- Reported acts in the harassment campaign included sending the Steiners items such as live insects, a funeral wreath and a pig mask covered in fake or pig blood.
- The settlement was announced publicly by the Steiners, and eBay acknowledged that a deal had been reached.
- According to the settlement terms reported by multiple outlets, $46.15 million will go to the Steiners directly, with additional millions allocated to charitable contributions and payments by former executives.
- The settlement resolves a long-running civil case filed in 2021, ending litigation that had continued for several years after the 2019 events.
Context
What was the underlying case about?
The case centered on a 2019 effort by former eBay employees to intimidate David and Ina Steiner, whose EcommerceBytes publication had at times criticized eBay. Reported actions included threatening messages and anonymous deliveries to their home and neighborhood BBC,CBS News,Reuters.
How is the settlement money being divided?
Multiple reports say the Steiners will receive $46.15 million directly, while additional funds will go to charitable contributions and payments by former executives as part of the overall roughly $55.7 million package NYT,Yahoo! Finance,Reuters.
Why does this settlement matter beyond this couple's case?
The dispute drew attention because it involved allegations that corporate personnel retaliated against journalists or critics over coverage of a major technology company. The public disclosure of the settlement terms also makes the outcome more transparent than many corporate settlements NYT,Hindustan Times,https://www.outlook….
Where Left and Right agree, and where they split
- Where Left and Right agree
- Retaliation against critical coverage crossed a clear line from corporate misconduct into punishable intimidation, and the settlement closes a years-long case over that abuse.
- Where Left and Right split
- Checking a powerful company’s abuse of critics, or enforcing the basic right to speak and publish without corporate retaliation.
How left and right read it
A settlement of about $56 million matters not just for its size, but because it closes a civil case rooted in retaliation against a Massachusetts couple whose newsletter covered a powerful company. When harassment included grotesque threats and multiple former employees were prosecuted or convicted, the issue is bigger than one payout: no corporation gets to answer scrutiny with intimidation.
“Ebay and three former top executives have agreed to pay $55.7m to resolve a lawsuit by a Massachusetts couple who fell victim to a bizarre stalking and harassment campaign” — The Guardian
eBay and three former executives agreed to pay about $56 million to resolve the Steiners’ civil suit after former employees carried out a harassment campaign in retaliation for the couple’s coverage. That multiple employees were prosecuted or convicted before this settlement matters. Corporate power cannot become a license to punish critics; enforce accountability and protect the right to speak and publish without intimidation.
The receipts — 93 sources
Wire services (13)
Independent coverage (80)
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