A Massachusetts couple, David and Ina Steiner, received a substantial payment of around £37.5 million from eBay following allegations that former employees of the company harassed them with threatening deliveries, including insects and a gory pig Halloween mask. The settlement, which was agreed upon earlier this year, also includes an additional £5.27 million designated for charitable donations.
Christopher Murphy, the couple’s attorney, emphasized that the resolution serves as a warning against attempts by large corporations to silence speech and the press. He underscored that the harassment campaign not only targeted the Steiners personally but also infringed upon free speech and journalistic freedom.
The settlement concludes over six years of legal proceedings linked to the harassment. The lawsuit, filed in 2021 in a Boston court, detailed the Steiners’ claims of a conspiracy by eBay to intimidate and silence them in an effort to suppress their reporting on the company.
Following the lawsuit, eBay acknowledged the misconduct of former executives involved in the case and issued a public statement apologizing for the actions against the Steiners. The company expressed regret over the incident and outlined measures taken to address the situation, including changes in leadership and the enhancement of internal policies and ethics training.
In a related development, seven former eBay employees faced criminal charges in 2020 for orchestrating a harassment campaign against the Steiners due to unfavorable coverage in the couple’s newsletter. Most of the defendants pleaded guilty to charges such as conspiracy and cyberstalking and received sentences ranging from prison time to home confinement.
As part of a separate agreement with federal authorities in 2024, eBay Inc. consented to a $3 million criminal penalty. Prosecutors revealed that the harassment tactics included sending disturbing items like live insects, a funeral wreath, and a bloody pig mask to the couple’s residence, as well as planning to surreptitiously install a GPS device on their vehicle.
Regarding the settlement, Murphy highlighted the absence of a confidentiality provision, emphasizing the importance of holding corporations and their executives accountable for such misconduct. He stressed that the resolution sets a precedent that such behavior will not go unpunished in the future.