Which regulatory agencies enforce this type of clause?

{'agency': 'FTC', 'reason': 'The FTC has authority to challenge forum selection clauses in consumer agreements that effectively deny consumers access to justice under FTC Act Section 5.', 'complaint_url': 'https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/'}

What is the severity of this clause?

ConductAtlas classifies this Governing Law and Jurisdiction 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 and Jurisdiction clauses across approximately 88 other tracked platforms. You can compare how platforms differ on this clause type in the cross-platform comparison view.

Governing Law and Jurisdiction — PlayStation

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What it is

PlayStation designates a specific state's laws and courts to govern legal disputes, which may not be the state where you live.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

If you need to bring a legal dispute against PlayStation outside of arbitration, you may be required to litigate in California under California law, regardless of where you reside.

Cross-platform context

See how other platforms handle Governing Law and Jurisdiction and similar clauses.

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Why it matters (compliance & risk perspective)

Being required to litigate under the laws of a state other than your own, or to travel to a distant forum, increases the cost and difficulty of bringing any legal claim against PlayStation.

View original clause language

GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION — 1.3 Access to and use of PlayStation Services is expressly conditioned upon acceptance of this Agreement.

Institutional analysis (Compliance & legal intelligence)

(1) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: Implicates the Full Faith and Credit Clause (U.S. Const. Art. IV §1) and state consumer protection forum selection limitations; FTC Act Section 5 for forum selection clauses that effectively deny consumers legal recourse; and California Code of Civil Procedure §410.40 which limits enforcement of forum selection clauses against California consumers. (2)

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Applicable agencies

FTC

The FTC has authority to challenge forum selection clauses in consumer agreements that effectively deny consumers access to justice under FTC Act Section 5.
File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information

Document

PlayStation Terms of Service

Entity

PlayStation

Document last updated

April 29, 2026

Tracking information

First tracked

April 18, 2026

Last verified

April 18, 2026

Record ID

CA-P-002944

Document ID

CA-D-00183

Evidence Provenance

Source URL

https://www.playstation.com/en-us/legal/psn-terms-of-service/

Wayback Machine

View archived versions →

SHA-256

ec7923ff1b914256702fd237da8ba06bb9e47f93821cc1e8bc3725d929cbb946

Verified

✓ Snapshot stored ✓ Change verified

How to Cite

ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: PlayStation | Document: PlayStation Terms of Service | Record: CA-P-002944
Captured: 2026-04-18 11:02:00 UTC | SHA-256: ec7923ff1b914256…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/playstation/playstation-terms-of-service/governing-law-and-jurisdiction/
Accessed: May 2, 2026

Classification

Severity

Medium

Governing Law and Jurisdiction