Khan Academy · Khan Academy Terms of Service

Mandatory Arbitration Clause

High severity
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What it is

If you have a legal dispute with Khan Academy, you must resolve it through private arbitration rather than by suing in court, with very limited exceptions for intellectual property claims.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Users over 18 lose the right to litigate disputes in open court and must instead use binding individual arbitration, which is generally less favorable for consumers seeking relief against a well-resourced company.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
  • Opt Out of Arbitration
    Within 30 days
    Within 30 days of creating your account or accepting a revised ToS, send a written notice stating your name, account email, and that you opt out of the arbitration agreement to the address specified in the arbitration section of the Terms of Service.

Cross-platform context

See how other platforms handle Mandatory Arbitration Clause and similar clauses.

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Why it matters (compliance & risk perspective)

Mandatory arbitration removes your right to a jury trial and makes it harder to hold a large company accountable because individual arbitration cases are less visible and often more costly for consumers to pursue.

View original clause language
You and Khan Academy agree that any dispute, claim or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the breach, termination, enforcement, interpretation or validity thereof or the use of the Services (collectively, "Disputes") will be settled by binding arbitration, except that each party retains the right to seek injunctive or other equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction to prevent the actual or threatened infringement, misappropriation or violation of a party's copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, patents, or other intellectual property rights.

Institutional analysis (Compliance & legal intelligence)

(1) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: The Federal Arbitration Act (9 U.S.C. §1 et seq.) governs enforceability; California courts have scrutinized arbitration clauses under unconscionability doctrine (Cal. Civ. Code §1670.5) and the McGill rule (McGill v. Citibank, N.A., 2 Cal.5th 945 (2017)) which bars waiver of public injunctive relief. The FTC has issued policy statements on mandatory arbitration as a potentially unfair practice under FTC Act Section 5. (2)

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    FTC has authority over unfair or deceptive consumer practices including mandatory arbitration clauses under FTC Act Section 5
    File a complaint →
  • State AG
    California AG enforces state consumer protection law including unconscionability standards applicable to arbitration clauses
    File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information
Document
Khan Academy Terms of Service
Entity
Khan Academy
Document last updated
April 29, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
April 18, 2026
Last verified
April 18, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-002862
Document ID
CA-D-00159
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
SHA-256
8914b6093be7fcaf2deefbf6620d8842d911de26247cd348b41d194a5b484ebf
Verified
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Change verified
How to Cite
ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: Khan Academy | Document: Khan Academy Terms of Service | Record: CA-P-002862
Captured: 2026-04-18 10:22:08 UTC | SHA-256: 8914b6093be7fcaf…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/khan-academy/khan-academy-terms-of-service/mandatory-arbitration-clause/
Accessed: May 2, 2026
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

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