The settlement totals $55.7 million, with $46.15 million going to the Steiners, $6 million allocated to charitable contributions, and a strong public statement issued by eBay about the 2019 conduct by top former executives.

Massachusetts couple David and Ina Steiner, publishers of EcommerceBytes, sued eBay and former executives over a cyber-stalking harassment campaign in retaliation for their critical newsletter coverage.

Former CEO Devin Wenig, unhappy with the 2019 coverage, initiated actions against the Steiners; he was not criminally charged but is paying $2 million more and donated $1 million to a free-speech foundation as part of the settlement.

The report places the events in a broader context of concerns about employee misconduct and how internal investigations are handled by tech companies.

Wenig told the Boston Globe he wasn’t aware of the harassment and described it as conduct done secretly and without his knowledge.

Court documents reveal plans for a GPS tracker and even talk of sending a “Samoan gang” to the Steiner home, though those ideas were not carried out.

During the campaign, defendants allegedly sent private messages and public tweets criticizing the newsletter and threatening to visit the Natick home.

The article notes ongoing media and corporate responses, including company statements and related coverage.

The civil case began in 2021 to uncover truth, hold wrongdoers accountable, deter future misconduct, and protect press freedom.

eBay asserted the 2019 conduct does not reflect the current culture or workforce, contrasting with its ongoing reputation messaging.

The case gained broader public attention through media coverage and the 2024 Amazon Prime documentary, Whatever It Takes: Inside the eBay Scandal.

The harassment included live insects, a funeral wreath, a bloody pig mask, and other disturbing items delivered to the Steiners, along with surveillance and an attempted GPS installation on their car.