Ebay and three of its former top executives have agreed to pay $55.7m (£43.8m) to settle a lawsuit brought by Massachusetts couple David and Ina Steiner, who were targeted in a bizarre stalking and harassment campaign after publishing critical coverage of the company. The Steiners, who run the newsletter EcommerceBytes, filed the case in 2021 following the prosecution of several former eBay employees for a cyberstalking campaign that included sending them cockroaches, fly larvae and a bloody Halloween pig mask. The settlement is significant as it closes out a saga that saw eBay itself criminally charged and highlights the legal and financial consequences corporate executives can face for orchestrating retaliation against journalists.

Under the deal, eBay will pay the Steiners $46.15m directly, fund $6m in charitable donations, and issue a strongly worded statement condemning the conduct of its former executives. Seven ex-eBay staff previously pleaded guilty and received prison sentences of up to 57 months for travelling from California to Massachusetts to surveil the couple and attempt to fit a GPS tracker to their car; eBay itself paid a $3m fine in 2024. Former chief executive Devin Wenig, who was never criminally charged but had reportedly texted a colleague to "take her down" regarding Ina Steiner, will personally pay the couple $2m plus a $1m charity donation, while ex-executives Wendy Jones and Steve Wymer will pay $500,000 and $50,000 respectively.