After eBay settlement, David and Ina Steiner are multimillionaires. It doesn’t make it any easier to sleep at night.

David and Ina Steiner of Natick, Massachusetts, settled their civil lawsuit against eBay and former executives for nearly $50 million, plus $7 million in charitable donations, following a five-year legal battle over a harassment and stalking campaign. The campaign, which began in 2019 after eBay’s then-CEO Devin Wenig criticized their reporting on Ecommercebytes, included threatening messages, bizarre deliveries (live spiders, a bloody pig mask), and attempts to track their car. Seven eBay employees were criminally charged. The settlement, announced July 27, includes $46.15 million from eBay, $2 million from Wenig, and $550,000 from two other executives, with no confidentiality clause. Despite the financial resolution, the Steiners remain scarred, living with heightened security and anxiety. They advocate for stronger Massachusetts laws, including a reporter shield law and enhanced antistalking penalties, to protect journalists from corporate retaliation. Their case highlighted the abuse of corporate power and press freedom, with U.S. Judge William Young emphasizing the threat to journalism. The Steiners hope their settlement serves as a blueprint for future victims, particularly its lack of a nondisclosure agreement.

(Source：Boston)