You Can Now Opt Out Of Snapchat’s Arbitration Clause — Here’s How

Popular messaging service Snapchat has had a binding arbitration clause — which takes away a user’s right to sue the company — in its user agreement since 2014. Yesterday, Snapchat updated its terms to give users 30 days to opt out of this anti-consumer restriction on their legal rights.

A Consumerist reader noticed that in Snapchat’s description of “What’s New” in this updated user agreement, the company buries details of the new opt-out feature at the bottom.

“We’ve given you more choice about how to resolve issues in the (hopefully unlikely) event you and Snapchat have a dispute,” reads the notice. “You can now take steps to opt out of the arbitration agreement.”

A scan of the new agreement itself finds the relevant section:

So that gives new Snapchat users 30 days from whenever they sign up, and current members presumably have 29 days (including today) to tell Snapchat they don’t want their rights taken from them.

To tell Snapchat you want to opt out of the arbitration agreement, you must send the company a written notice that includes the following:

• Your name
• Your address
• Snapchat username
• Email address used to set up the account
• An “unequivocal” statement that you desire to opt out of the arbitration agreement

This all must be sent to:
Snapchat, Inc.
ATTN: Arbitration Opt-out
63 Market Street
Venice, CA 90291

Before the end of the remaining 29 days.

Of course, even if you do opt out of this clause, Snapchat will not make it easy to sue the company if it does screw you over. The very next part of the user agreement states that any lawsuits bought by you or Snapchat “will be litigated exclusively in the United States District Court for the Central District of California” or “the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles.”

by Chris Morran via Consumerist