eBay agrees $55.7m settlement over 2019 cyberstalking campaign against Steiners

Published Jul 29, 02:43 PM UTC

eBay and several former executives have agreed to pay $55.7 million to settle a civil lawsuit brought by Ina and David Steiner over a 2019 harassment campaign. The Steiners, operators of the EcommerceBytes news site, were targeted by former eBay employees in what their lawyers described as a 'terror campaign' intended to stop their reporting. The settlement concludes more than six years of criminal and civil proceedings. Under the agreement, the Steiners will receive $48.7 million in total compensation, with eBay paying $46.15 million, former CEO Devin Wenig paying $2 million, former executive Wendy Jones paying $500,000, and former executive Steve Wymer paying $50,000. eBay also agreed to provide $6 million in charitable donations and issue a public statement condemning the conduct. The settlement does not include a confidentiality clause. The article also notes that GameStop proposed a $55.5 billion acquisition of eBay in May 2026, which eBay's board rejected.