Lokacin da ma'auratan Massachusetts Ina da David Steiner suka fara aikin jaridarsu suna ba da labarin Silicon Valley a farkon shekarun 2000, sashin fasaha har yanzu yana jin ƙanƙanta kuma na sirri ne. Kamfanoni masu tasowa suna fitowa daga gareji, kuma 'yan jaridar da ke ba da labarinsu sau da yawa suna rubuta labarinsu daga teburin girkin nasu. eBay har yanzu ƙaramin kamfani ne na siyarwa ta yanar gizo wanda aka gina akan ra'ayin cewa "mutane suna da kyau a asali."
Yayin da siyayya ta yanar gizo ke ƙaruwa, Steiners sun ƙaddamar da mujallar yanar gizo mai suna EcommerceBytes. Ta yi hidima ga ƙungiyar masu sana'ar ƙanana da ke girma waɗanda ke amfani da dandamali kamar eBay don siyar da kayayyakinsu. "Mun yi magana game da wannan a matsayin dama ga mutane na yau da kullun, nakasassu, tsofaffi don samun ƙarin kuɗi," in ji David game da al'ummar da ta girma tare da EcommerceBytes, wadda yanzu ke da masu karatu sama da 600,000. "Mun yi farin ciki sosai game da hakan."
Shekarunsu 19 na farko na ba da labarin masana'antar mafarki ne, irin ƙarshen farin ciki da kuke tsammani daga ma'auratan fim ɗin Hallmark na Kirsimeti. Amma kamar kowane haɗin gwiwa mai nasara, ya dogara da raba ayyuka a fili. Ina ta kula da abin da aka buga, kuma David ya kula da yadda aka yi shi. "A lokacin da muka fara babu WordPress," in ji Ina. "Dole ne ya ƙirƙiri nasa tsarin don mu iya bugawa cikin kasafin kuɗinmu."
Amma ba su taɓa tsammanin wannan mafarkin zai rikiɗa zuwa mafarki mai ban tsoro ba, tare da su a matsayin abin da aka yi wa yaƙin neman zaɓe na tsoratarwa a duk faɗin ƙasar, wanda kamfanin da ke tallafawa aikinsu ya shirya. "Wannan mafarki ne mai ban tsoro na Stephen King, mafarki mai ban tsoro," in ji Ina. "Sannan gano cewa kamfanin da na yi shekaru 20 ina ba da labarinsa yana yin wannan abu ne mai ban mamaki. Ya yi mana illa mai yawa a jiki da tunani."
Steiners sun zama misali mai ban mamaki na haɗarin zamani da 'yan jarida ke fuskanta don kawai yin aikinsu. A watan da ya gabata, sun cimma yarjejeniyar sulhu ta dala miliyan 55.7 da eBay bayan shekaru shida na shari'o'in laifi da na farar hula a kan kamfanin, dangane da ƙoƙarin tsoffin ma'aikata na tsoratar da ma'auratan don su yi shiru. Yaƙin neman zaɓe mai tayar da hankali ya faru a cikin makonni da yawa a cikin 2019, inda Steiners suka karɓi barazanar yanar gizo da fakiti masu tayar da hankali a gidansu na Boston: gizo-gizo masu rai, abin rufe fuska na alade mai jini kamar wanda mai kisan kai a cikin fina-finan Saw ke sawa, da littafi game da jimrewa da mutuwar ma'aurata. An aika mujallu na batsa da aka yi wa David a gangan ga maƙwabtansu, kuma an jera gidansu a yanar gizo a matsayin wurin siyar da kayan gida da kuma bukukuwan swinger.
Steiners ba su da masaniya game da wanda ke bayan barazanar ko abin da suka yi don su cancanci hakan. "Na yi tunanin wani mahaukaci ne kaɗai," in ji Ina. "Na tuntuɓi 'yar'uwata na ce: 'Ina da mai bin ni. Don Allah ka gaya wa kowa ya rabu da ni a kan kafofin sada zumunta.' Mun tsorata sosai kuma muna tsoron danginmu. Ina jin wannan abin kunya."
Sun shiga yanayin kariyar kansu, suna kafa na'urorin ƙara daga tukwane da kwanoni don faɗakar da su game da masu kutse, suna shigar da kyamarori a ko'ina cikin gidansu, kuma suna kwana a gadaje daban don tabbatar da cewa ɗayansu yana da lokacin kiran taimako idan ɗayan ya sami hari. Duk da haka, 'yan sandan gida sun kasance cikin ruɗani game da lamarin. Ba su fara warware shi ba sai lokacin da Steiners suka ba su lambar lasisin mota daga motar da ke kallon su, wanda suka gano ta koma ga ma'aikacin eBay wanda ya yi hayan motar da katin bashi na kamfani.
Daga nan, asirin ya ɓace da sauri: eBay na ƙarƙashin matsin lamba—yana ƙoƙarin ci gaba da gasa da masu fafatawa, yana fuskantar masu saka hannun jari masu fafutuka, kuma yana jin kunyar rahoton Ina kai tsaye game da babban albashin shugaba Devin Wenig. A cikin saƙonnin rubutu tsakanin shugabanni, ya bayyana a sarari yadda suke son ɓoye Steiners—da kuma yadda ɗokin ya zama na sirri. Ya bambanta sosai da Silicon Valley mai daɗi na baya.
"Ka sauke ta," Wenig ya rubuta.
"Ina son ganin toka," in ji babban jami'in sadarwa Steve Wymer. "Duk tsawon lokacin da ake buƙata. Duk abin da ake buƙata."
A cewar masu bincike, shugaban tsaro na kamfanin, James Baugh, yana aiki bisa umarnin daga sama, sannan ya umarci ƙungiyar matasa mata da ke aiki a ƙarƙashinsa su yi wa Steiners hari—har ma yayin da yake tsoratar da su kuma, a wani yanayi, yana yin lalata da ɗayansu. A cikin 2020, Ma'aikatar Shari'a ta tuhumi shugabanni da ma'aikatan eBay bakwai da laifin cyberstalking. A cikin 2022, an yanke wa Baugh hukuncin ɗaurin watanni 57 a gidan yari. A cikin 2024, masu shigar da kara na tarayya sun cimma yarjejeniyar jinkirta tuhuma da eBay kanta. Kamfanin ya amince da cikakken bayanin gaskiya, an tuhume shi da laifuffuka shida (ciki har da tafiye-tafiye tsakanin jihohi da kuma sa ido ta hanyar sadarwar lantarki), kuma ya amince ya biya mafi girman tarar laifi na dala miliyan 3.
A halin yanzu, sulhun farar hula na dala miliyan 55.7 na Steiners—wanda eBay ta amince da laifi kuma ta nemi afuwa amma ta musanta alhakin shari'a—ya kawo ƙarshen yaƙin shari'a na kusan shekaru biyu. Wenig, wanda ya bar muƙamin shugaban eBay a 2019, ya amince ya biya dala miliyan 2 ga Steiners da dala miliyan 1 ga ƙungiyar sadaka ta 'yancin faɗar albarkacin baki da sunan Ina. Amma ƙudurorin hukuma ba su ƙare mafarkin ban tsoro na sirri da na sana'a na Steiners ba. Tun daga wahalarsu ta 2019, dukansu an gano suna da PTSD, suna ganin likitocin tunani, kuma suna shan magunguna don sarrafa damuwa. Tafiya mai sauƙi zuwa kantin kayan abinci har yanzu tana jin haɗari bayan duk bin diddigin. David har yanzu yana cikin damuwa da tunawa da bikin cika shekaru 31 na aurensa da Ina akan tuna da busasshen spaghetti, yayin da kayan abincinsu ke ƙarewa. "Duk lokacin da muka fita ko na yi ƙoƙarin siyayya, wani abu yakan faru kuma sai in gudu zuwa gida," in ji shi.
Fim ɗin shirin na Prime Video Whatever It Takes, wanda Jenny Carchman ta jagoranta, ya sake ba da labarin wahalar Steiners da saurin littafin sirri—a cikin wasu abubuwa, yana nuna aikin tsaro na kamfanin eBay wanda yake kama da haɗin ƙungiyar yaƙi da ta'addanci ta NSA da gidan ɗalibai. Ma'auratan sun ƙi shiga da farko. Amma fim ɗin ya taimaka wa abokansu da maƙwabtansu su fahimci muhimmancin lamarinsu, da kuma dalilin da ya sa suka ƙi karɓar taimako. "Mun ji kamar masu guba," in ji David. "Ba mu so wani ya shiga cikin abin da aka yi mana—don haka muka tsaya a cikin raminmu."
Amma duk da haka, Steiners sun sami ƙarfin ci gaba da bugawa—wani ɓangare don hana abin kunya ya rufe sunan da suka gina daga ƙarshe. "Lokacin da mutane ke rubutu game da eBay na yi mana hari, kamar shekaru 20 na zama ɗan jarida ba su wanzu ba," in ji Ina. "An rage ni zuwa: waccan matar da ta rubuta labarin albashin shugaba."
Ganin abin da suka fuskanta na zama abin hari, na yi mamakin ko za su iya jin tausayin ma'aikatan mata da suka shiga cikin abin kunya.
"The New York Times ta yi wannan hira da [ɗaya daga cikin ma'aikatan eBay mata] kuma ta nuna tausayi sosai gare ta," in ji Ina. "Amma daga ganina, kamar: tana tsoratar da ni kuma tana ba ni tsoro."
David, ba shakka, yana jin daban. "Ina, mace ce mai yawan gafartawa. Amma ni ban kai ga haka ba."
Babbar nasara a sulhun farar hula na Steiners na iya zama rashin NDA. Za su iya yin magana a bainar jama'a game da lamarin da wahalarsu kuma su ci gaba da ba da labarin abubuwan da ke faruwa. Yayin da suke bin shari'ar farar hula, sun karɓi tarin takardu sama da 68,000 waɗanda suka ba su cikakken hoto. Ainihin yanayin yaƙin neman zaɓe na ciki don tsoratar da su, tare da gazawar shugabanni waɗanda suka ba da damar hakan, yanzu a bayyane yake. Yana da kyau a kira dukan lamarin a matsayin wani nau'i na farko na ta'addancin kamfani. Amma ganin rawar da Wenig ya taka a baya a matsayin shugaban Thomson Reuters, wanda ke gudanar da ɗaya daga cikin manyan sabis na labarai a duniya, ya fi kama da laifin da labarai suka yi wa labarai.
Wannan yana zama tunatarwa game da yadda Silicon Valley ta canza tun lokacin da Steiners suka fara ba da labarin fasaha, da kuma yadda aikinsu na ƙwazo ya bambanta da rahotannin da ke son masana'antu waɗanda suka mamaye manyan kafofin watsa labarai. Ga Steiners, sulhun dala miliyan 55.7 ba kawai lada ba ne don yaƙin da suke so su ci sannan su ci gaba, suna fatan ƙarshen farin ciki—watakila a tsibiri na wurare masu zafi inda aka toshe eBay. A maimakon haka, yana nuna darajar gwagwarmayarsu, ƙimar amincinsu, da kuma cewa aikin jarida mai ƙa'ida har yanzu yana da daraja sosai.
Ba abin mamaki ba, masu karatun EcommerceBytes masu aminci sun riga sun fahimci ƙimar wannan aikin. "Muna samun imel da sharhi kamar, 'Mun san ku cancanci hutu, diyya da tsaro, amma don Allah kar ku daina bugawa,'" in ji Ina. "Wannan yana da ma'ana sosai a gare mu."
Whatever It Takes yana samuwa yanzu akan Amazon Prime.
Tambayoyi da Aka Yi Yawa
Anan akwai jerin tambayoyin da aka yi yawa game da abin kunya na tsoratarwa na eBay da aka rubuta cikin yanayi na halitta, bayyananne kuma a takaice
Bayani na Gabaɗaya
Q Menene ainihin abin kunya na tsoratarwa na eBay
A Wani shiri ne na laifi a 2019 inda manyan shugabanni a hedkwatar eBay a California suka shirya yaƙin neman zaɓe na tsoratarwa da tursasawa ma'auratan Massachusetts David da Ina Steiner waɗanda ke buga wasiƙar labarai da ke sukar eBay
Q Wanene waɗanda aka yi wa
A David da Ina Steiner ma'aurata waɗanda ke gudanar da shafin yanar gizo da wasiƙar labarai mai suna eCommerceBytes An yi musu hari saboda rahotanninsu sun fusata shugaban eBay na lokacin Devin Wenig
Q Wane irin tsoratarwa ne ma'auratan suka fuskanta
A Yaƙin neman zaɓe mai ban tsoro da gaske Ya haɗa da aika gizo-gizo masu rai kyankyaso da abin rufe fuska na alade mai jini zuwa gidansu da kuma saƙon barazana bin diddiginsu har ma da ƙoƙarin sanya na'urar GPS a motarsu
Q Me yasa eBay ta yi wannan
A Shugaban ya fusata da rahotannin sukar wasiƙar Ya aika imel zuwa ga babban jami'in sadarwarsa yana cewa Muna buƙatar sauke ta wanda ya haifar da shirin ban mamaki da na doka
Q Me ya faru da mutanen da ke da hannu
A An kori ma'aikata da yawa A 2020 Ma'aikatar Shari'a ta Amurka ta tuhumi tsoffin ma'aikatan eBay bakwai Shida daga cikinsu sun amsa laifinsu kan tuhume-tuhume kamar cyberstalking da makirci A 2022 an yanke wa tsohon shugaban tsaro Jim Baugh hukuncin kusan shekaru biyar a gidan yari Tsohon shugaba Devin Wenig ba a tuhume shi a shari'ar laifi ba amma ya biya tara a cikin yarjejeniyar SEC mai alaƙa
Cikakkun Bayanai da Sakamako
Q Shin eBay kamfanin ya shiga matsala ko kawai ma'aikata
A Dukansu Ma'aikatan sun fuskanci tuhume-tuhumen laifi kuma eBay a matsayin kamfani ta biya tarar dala miliyan 3 don warware shari'ar laifi Sun kuma biya tarar dala miliyan 3 daban ga SEC don rashin bayyana shirin ga masu saka hannun jari
Q Yaya ma'auratan suka kama masu tsoratarwa
A Masu tsoratarwa sun yi kuskure da yawa Sun yi amfani da motar haya kuma ma'auratan sun lura da na'urar bin diddigi a motarsu Sun kuma aika saƙon barazana daga asusun da ba a san sunansu ba waɗanda aka gano sun koma ga hanyar sadarwar eBay Daga ƙarshe FBI ta kai samame a hedkwatar eBay
