eBay and former executives settle journalist stalking lawsuit for $55.7 million
NATICK, Mass., July 29. A $55.7 million settlement resolved a civil lawsuit by journalists Ina and David Steiner against eBay and three of its former executives over a stalking and harassment campaign that targeted the couple in 2019. Ina Steiner disclosed the agreement on EcommerceBytes, the e-commerce news website she and her husband run from Natick, Massachusetts.
Key takeaways
- eBay and three former executives agreed to a $55.7 million settlement resolving a civil lawsuit brought by journalists Ina and David Steiner over a 2019 stalking and harassment campaign.
- Of the $55.7 million total, $46 million goes to the journalists, with the remainder covering charitable commitments.
- The 2019 campaign sent the Steiners live cockroaches, a funeral wreath, a book on surviving a spouse's death, and a bloody pig mask, plus threats and an attempted GPS tracker, to stop their reporting.
- Multiple former eBay employees previously pleaded guilty to criminal charges and received prison sentences before the civil suit.
- The Steiners, who run the e-commerce news site EcommerceBytes from Natick, Massachusetts, filed the civil lawsuit in 2021.
NATICK, Mass., July 29. A $55.7 million settlement resolved a civil lawsuit by journalists Ina and David Steiner against eBay and three of its former executives over a stalking and harassment campaign that targeted the couple in 2019. Ina Steiner disclosed the agreement on EcommerceBytes, the e-commerce news website she and her husband run from Natick, Massachusetts.
The 2019 harassment campaign
The Steiners received deliveries to their home of live cockroaches, a funeral wreath, a book about surviving the death of a spouse, and a bloody pig mask. Those carrying out the campaign also sent threatening messages through email and Twitter and attempted to plant a GPS tracking device on the couple's car. The conduct was designed to stop the Steiners' reporting, Ina Steiner said.
Criminal charges followed. Multiple former eBay employees pleaded guilty and received prison sentences.
Settlement terms
Ina Steiner described the agreement as a landmark civil rights settlement. The $55.7 million total covers compensation and charitable commitments, with $46 million going to the journalists. eBay and three former executives are parties to the deal. The Steiners had filed the civil lawsuit in 2021.
About EcommerceBytes
EcommerceBytes is a news site focused on the e-commerce industry, operated by the Steiners from Natick, Massachusetts. The criminal cases against former eBay employees, which produced guilty pleas and prison sentences, were resolved before the Steiners brought their civil complaint in 2021.