Ina and David Steiner ran EcommerceBytes, an independent newsletter covering the e-commerce industry. Their apparent offense was journalism. According to federal prosecutors, former eBay employees launched a coordinated intimidation campaign that included mailing live insects, a funeral wreath, a bloody pig Halloween mask, pornographic materials, and sustained online harassment targeting the couple at their home.
Seven former employees faced federal charges in 2020. Several pleaded guilty or were convicted. eBay itself accepted a $3 million criminal fine in 2024 under a deferred prosecution agreement, according to CNN.
The conduct reads less like a corporate decision and more like a villain origin story someone genuinely forgot to edit for plausibility.
What the Settlement Actually Looks Like
The total package reaches $55.7 million, with the Steiners receiving $48.7 million directly and the remainder funding charitable commitments.
The breakdown, disclosed in a federal court order in Boston per Reuters, prevented a trial scheduled for the following week:
- eBay pays $46.15 million directly to the Steiners
- Former CEO Devin Wenig contributes $2 million
- Former executive Wendy Jones contributes $500,000
- Former executive Steve Wymer contributes $50,000
- eBay funds $6 million in charitable contributions
- Wenig separately funds $1 million to a First Amendment charity, established in Ina Steiner’s name
No confidentiality provision. Zero. The Steiners can discuss every detail of the case publicly, permanently — something worth pausing on in a legal landscape where corporate settlements routinely bury the story.
Why the No-NDA Clause Matters More Than the Money
Most corporate settlements buy silence as a matter of course — this one explicitly refused to.
The standard settlement playbook treats confidentiality as a default, not a negotiation point. This deal rejected that approach entirely. The Steiners’ attorney said the settlement aimed to protect journalists and deter corporate misconduct — not simply compensate the couple for what they endured.
eBay called the conduct “wrong” and “reprehensible,” insisting it did not reflect the company’s culture. Worth noting: the same company issuing that statement accepted a criminal fine for the conduct it is now distancing itself from.
The $48.7 million direct payout, the fully public court record, and a First Amendment charity fund bearing a journalist’s name together send an unambiguous signal to any corporation tempted to retaliate against its critics. Your press coverage might sting. The legal bill, it turns out, stings considerably harder.
