eBay Faces $3 Million Fine for Harassment Campaign Against Critical Bloggers

Executives at eBay have been hit with a $3 million fine after orchestrating a campaign to harasses and intimidate a couple, Ina and David Steiner, who produced a newsletter that the company's executives disliked.

The couple claimed they were left emotionally, psychologically, and physically terrorized by the acts of intimidation carried out by eBay employees, according to court papers.

The multiple acts were carried out by Jim Baugh, eBay's former senior director of safety and security. Baugh, along with six associates, led a targeted effort to intimidate the Steiners, who were responsible for producing EcommerceBytes, a newsletter that provided critical coverage of the company.

The court filings revealed the extent to which the harassment went.

The Steiners received live spiders, cockroaches, a foetal pig, and even a funeral wreath at their home in Natick, Massachusetts. Baugh and his associates went as far as installing a GPS tracking device on the couple's car and creating posts on Craigslist inviting sexual encounters at their residence. These acts of intimidation, according to their attorney, left the Steiners feeling violated and fearful for their safety.

After learning of the multiple incidents, eBay fired the employees involved in the harassment campaign. In 2021, Philip Cooke, one of the employees, was sentenced to 18 months in prison. The following year, Baugh himself was sentenced to nearly five years for his role in the distressing ordeal.

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Baugh's lawyers claimed that he faced pressure from former eBay CEO Devin Wenig to rein in the Steiners due to their unfavorable coverage of the company. However, Wenig, who stepped down in 2019, denies any knowledge of the harassment campaign and has not been charged in the case.

The details of the harassment have prompted strong condemnation from the acting Massachusetts US Attorney, Josh Levy, who described eBay's conduct as "absolutely horrific, criminal conduct."