eBay Settles Journalist Harassment Case for $46 Million

eBay has agreed to pay $46 million to resolve criminal and civil charges stemming from a cyberstalking campaign against the publishers of an online newsletter. The settlement resolves a dark chapter in the e-commerce giant's corporate history.

The incident led to criminal convictions for several former eBay security executives. Legal compliance teams tracking corporate governance audits can format their reports using the [Code Formatter](/tools/code-formatter/).

The Resolution of a Bizarre Corporate Scandal

The harassment campaign, which took place in 2019, involved sending anonymous threats and disturbing deliveries to the journalists' home. The DOJ's investigation highlighted a complete breakdown in corporate governance and internal security controls.

Imposing Governance Reforms on the Board

Under the terms of the settlement, eBay will implement independent compliance monitoring for the next three years. The company's board has pledged to implement strict new codes of conduct to prevent similar abuses.