Which regulatory agencies enforce this type of clause?

{'agency': 'State_AG', 'reason': "State attorneys general have jurisdiction to enforce state consumer protection laws that may apply regardless of LinkedIn's California choice of law designation.", 'complaint_url': 'https://www.naag.org/find-my-ag/'}

What is the severity of this clause?

ConductAtlas classifies this Governing Law clause as medium severity. Severity reflects the magnitude of rights affected, the breadth of users impacted, and the degree of discretion the platform retains.

Do other platforms have similar clauses?

Yes. ConductAtlas has identified similar Governing Law clauses across approximately 1 other tracked platforms. You can compare how platforms differ on this clause type in the cross-platform comparison view.

Governing Law — LinkedIn

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What it is

For US users, all legal disputes are governed by California law. For EU/EEA/Switzerland users, disputes are governed by Irish law.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Non-California US users may face disadvantages in applying California-specific consumer protection laws, and the governing law clause combined with mandatory arbitration means US users have very limited judicial recourse.

How other platforms handle this

Shopify Medium

These Terms of Service and any separate agreements whereby we provide you Services shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Ontario, Canada. For merchants based outside of the United States, the parties agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in O...

Netflix Medium

8.5. Changes to Terms of Use and Assignment. Netflix may, from time to time, change these Terms of Use. In case of material changes we will notify you at least one month before such changes apply to you. If you do not wish to accept the changes, you can cancel your membership before they take effect...

Microsoft Medium

The laws of the State of Washington, U.S.A., govern this agreement and any claim or dispute that might arise between you and Microsoft, regardless of conflict of laws provisions. If you and Microsoft agree to resolve a dispute in court (rather than through arbitration), you agree to personal jurisdi...

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Why it matters (compliance & risk perspective)

The choice of California law for US users and Irish law for EU users determines which courts have jurisdiction and which consumer protections apply to your dispute with LinkedIn.

View original clause language

This Contract (and any further rules, polices, or guidelines incorporated by reference) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California and the United States, without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of California or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of California. For users who reside in the Designated Countries, the Contract shall be governed by the laws of Ireland. LinkedIn Ireland and its affiliates are subject to the Irish laws implementing applicable EU regulations and directives.

Institutional analysis (Compliance & legal intelligence)

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: California's choice of law is significant because it incorporates California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA §1798.100), California's Unfair Competition Law (Business & Professions Code §17200), and California Civil Code §1668 protections. Irish governing law for EU users implicates Irish contract law, the Consumer Rights Act 2022 (Ireland), and EU consumer protection directives (2011/83/EU, 93/13/EEC). GDPR compliance obligations apply regardless of governing law designation for EU users. The Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements may affect cross-border enforcement.

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Applicable agencies

State AG

State attorneys general have jurisdiction to enforce state consumer protection laws that may apply regardless of LinkedIn's California choice of law designation.
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Provision details

Document information

Document

LinkedIn User Agreement

Entity

Document last updated

March 24, 2026

Tracking information

First tracked

March 15, 2026

Last verified

April 9, 2026

Record ID

CA-P-002597

Document ID

CA-D-00091

Evidence Provenance

Source URL

https://www.linkedin.com/legal/user-agreement

Wayback Machine

View archived versions →

SHA-256

187484d810e3070b833f2ad255c960414e889938ea3e1b67143d488a662c60f6

Verified

✓ Snapshot stored ✓ Change verified

How to Cite

ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: LinkedIn | Document: LinkedIn User Agreement | Record: CA-P-002597
Captured: 2026-03-15 11:07:03 UTC | SHA-256: 187484d810e3070b…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/linkedin/linkedin-user-agreement/governing-law/
Accessed: April 29, 2026

Classification

Severity

Medium

Governing Law