eBay and three former company executives have agreed to pay a combined $55.7 million to resolve a civil lawsuit brought by EcommerceBytes publishers David and Ina Steiner.

The Massachusetts couple were targeted in 2019 by a disturbing stalking and harassment campaign carried out by former eBay employees after EcommerceBytes published coverage critical of the online marketplace.

The campaign included threatening online messages, surveillance near the Steiners’ home and attempts to install a GPS tracking device on their vehicle.

Former employees also sent the couple disturbing packages, including live insects, a bloody pig mask, a funeral wreath and a book about surviving the death of a spouse.

Pornographic material was additionally sent to a neighbour using David Steiner’s name, while fake online advertisements were reportedly created to encourage strangers to visit the couple’s home.

The Steiners filed their civil lawsuit in 2021, accusing eBay and former company leaders of participating in a conspiracy intended to intimidate them and silence their reporting.

Under the final agreement, the Steiners will receive $48.7 million in compensation.

eBay will pay $46.15 million of that amount. Former eBay chief executive Devin Wenig will contribute $2 million, former senior vice president Wendy Jones will pay $500,000 and former communications chief Steve Wymer will contribute $50,000.

The settlement also includes $7 million in charitable commitments.

eBay will donate $6 million to nonprofit organizations, while Wenig will contribute an additional $1 million to an organization supporting freedom of the press and First Amendment rights in Ina Steiner’s name.

The agreement does not contain confidentiality restrictions, meaning the Steiners are permitted to discuss the case and their experiences publicly.

Seven former eBay employees were previously prosecuted over their involvement in the harassment campaign. Most pleaded guilty, and several received prison sentences.

eBay also agreed to pay a $3 million criminal penalty in 2024 after admitting that former employees had carried out the campaign.

In its public statement concerning the civil agreement, eBay described what happened to the Steiners as wrong and reprehensible.

The company also acknowledged the unprofessional tone used by former senior executives in internal communications, while saying that new leadership, policies, controls and training have since been introduced.

Wenig was not criminally charged and has maintained that the harassment campaign was conducted without his knowledge.

The $55.7 million agreement brings the Steiners’ civil case to an end after more than six years of criminal and civil proceedings.