In 2020, four former eBay security employees along with an eBay contractor pled guilty to conspiracy to commit stalking and conspiracy to obstruct justice relating to a cyberstalking and harassment campaign by the company in 2019. Another two eBay employees were indicted for stalking, witness tampering, and other charges; they pled guilty in 2022. In January 2024, eBay entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the US Department of Justice.
In July of 2021, the publishers of EcommerceBytes filed a lawsuit against eBay and others in relation to the criminal conspiracy.
https://www.ecommercebytes.com/C/blog/blog.pl?/pl/2022/9/1664408805.html
The parties agreed to settle the lawsuit and dismissed the case on July 27, 2026.
https://www.ecommercebytes.com/2026/07/27/ebay-and-execs-settle-cyberstalking-case-for-55-7-million-in-compensation-and-charitable-commitments/
eBay issued the following statement on its website:
https://www.ebayinc.com/stories/news/ebay-statement-regarding-agreement-with-ina-and-david-steiner
“As we have long stated, what the Steiners were subjected to by former eBay employees in 2019 was wrong, reprehensible and should never have happened. We condemn, in the strongest terms possible, the employees who perpetrated and pled guilty to criminal charges for the misconduct against Ina and David Steiner. We also acknowledge the unprofessional tone in internal communications demonstrated, to different degrees and number, by Mr. Wenig, Mr. Wymer, and Ms. Jones.
“We continue to extend our deepest apologies to the Steiners. This agreement is consistent with our commitment to fairly compensate the Steiners and fulfills our efforts to make things right.
“The 2019 conduct is not representative of eBay’s culture or thousands of employees around the world today. Since these events occurred, new leaders have joined the company and eBay has strengthened its policies, procedures, controls and training consistent with the company’s ongoing commitment to uphold high standards of conduct and ethics.”