eBay to Pay $3M Fine for Harassment Campaign Against Massachusetts Couple

The online retailer's security team sent disturbing items to the couple's home in retaliation for their critical coverage of the company.

eBay will pay a $3 million fine to settle criminal charges that its security team stalked and harassed a Massachusetts couple, David and Ina Steiner, who run an e-commerce trade publication called EcommerceBytes.
The harassment campaign included sending disturbing items to the Steiners' home, such as live spiders and cockroaches, a bloody pig mask, and a book on surviving the death of a spouse.
The campaign began in 2019 after Ina Steiner wrote an article about a lawsuit brought by eBay that accused Amazon of poaching its sellers.
Seven former eBay employees, including the company's former Senior Director of Safety and Security, Jim Baugh, have pleaded guilty to charges related to the harassment campaign.
In addition to the fine, eBay will be required to retain an independent corporate compliance monitor for three years and make improvements to its compliance program.