Any legal dispute with Cloudflare will be resolved under California law, and arbitration proceedings must take place in San Francisco, California.
This analysis describes what Cloudflare's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
For users outside the US, and particularly in the EU and UK, a California governing law and arbitration venue clause may conflict with mandatory local consumer protection laws and may make it practically difficult to pursue a claim.
Interpretive note: Enforceability of the California governing law clause and San Francisco arbitration venue against EU and UK users who qualify as consumers may be limited by mandatory local law protections that cannot be contractually waived.
This clause means that if you have a dispute with Cloudflare, you are generally expected to resolve it under California law and, if arbitration is required, to participate in proceedings in San Francisco, which may be impractical and costly for non-US users.
How other platforms handle this
In the EU and EEA, the choice of Texas governing law shall not apply only where a mandatory consumer protection law explicitly prohibits such choice of law provisions.
For any claims that are not subject to arbitration...U.S. Residents: Delaware law; venue exclusively in the state or federal courts in New Castle County, Delaware
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California and the United States without regard to conflicts of laws provisions
"These Terms shall be governed by the laws of the State of California, excluding its conflicts of law rules, and the federal laws of the United States. Any dispute arising from or relating to the subject matter of these Terms shall be finally settled by arbitration in San Francisco County, California.Excerpt from Cloudflare's Terms of Use
REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: Governing law and mandatory arbitration venue clauses in consumer-facing agreements are subject to review under EU Directive 93/13/EEC on unfair contract terms and equivalent UK consumer protection legislation, which may render these clauses …
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For users outside the US, and particularly in the EU and UK, a California governing law and arbitration venue clause may conflict with mandatory local consumer protection laws and may make it practically difficult to pursue a claim.
This clause means that if you have a dispute with Cloudflare, you are generally expected to resolve it under California law and, if arbitration is required, to participate in proceedings in San Francisco, which may be impractical and costly for non-US users.
ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 267 platforms. See the full comparison.
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