eBay and three former executives agreed to pay $55.7 million to settle the lawsuit.
Why it matters: The deal closes a long-running legal and reputational case for a major internet company. It also highlights how board and executive decisions can create corporate liability when retaliation crosses into criminal conduct.
- The settlement was announced July 28, 2026, in the federal civil case brought by Ina and David Steiner of Natick, Massachusetts.
- According to AP, the Steiners will receive $48.7 million, eBay will donate $6 million to charities, and former CEO Devin Wenig will donate $1 million to a free-speech charity in Ina Steiner’s name.
- The case stems from an August 2019 harassment campaign tied to criticism published in the Steiners’ EcommerceBytes newsletter.
- eBay entered a deferred prosecution agreement in January 2024 and agreed to pay a $3 million criminal penalty.
eBay Inc. and three former executives agreed to pay $55.7 million to resolve the Steiners’ civil lawsuit over a 2019 cyberstalking and harassment campaign, according to AP and The Verge.
The settlement ends a case that had been pending in federal court in Boston since 2021, WBUR reported. The underlying conduct dated to August 2019, when eBay employees allegedly targeted Ina and David Steiner after criticism published in their EcommerceBytes newsletter.
AP reported that the Steiners will receive $48.7 million. eBay will contribute $6 million to charities, and former CEO Devin Wenig will make a $1 million donation to a free-speech charity in Ina Steiner’s name, AP reported.
The company also has already faced criminal fallout. In January 2024, eBay entered a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts and agreed to pay a $3 million criminal penalty, according to eBay and the Justice Department. The DOJ said the campaign included anonymous disturbing deliveries, social-media harassment, in-person surveillance in Natick, and installation of a GPS tracking device on the victims’ car, according to DOJ.
eBay CEO Jamie Iannone said the company’s conduct in 2019 was “wrong and reprehensible,” while Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy called it “absolutely horrific, criminal conduct,” according to WBUR.
By the numbers
- $55.7 million - Total settlement amount
- $48.7 million - Reported payment to the Steiners
- $3 million - Criminal penalty tied to eBay's 2024 deferred prosecution agreement