Snapchat · Snapchat Terms of Service

Governing Law & Jurisdiction

Medium severity
Share 𝕏 Share in Share

What it is

Any legal disputes with Snapchat that aren't handled by arbitration must be resolved in California courts under California law, regardless of where you live in the US.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

US consumers outside California who have a dispute with Snap that falls outside arbitration — such as a claim for injunctive relief — must litigate in Los Angeles County, California, creating a geographical barrier that practically discourages most users from pursuing legal claims.

Cross-platform context

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

Compare across platforms →
Need full compliance memos? See Professional →

Why it matters (compliance & risk perspective)

If you live outside California and need to pursue a legal claim against Snap (in the rare case it falls outside arbitration), you may have to litigate in California courts — a significant practical and financial barrier for most users.

View original clause language
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, consistent with the Federal Arbitration Act, without giving effect to any principles that provide for the application of the law of any other jurisdiction. Any dispute between you and Snap that is not subject to arbitration or cannot be heard in small claims court will be resolved in the state or federal courts of Los Angeles County, California.

Institutional analysis (Compliance & legal intelligence)

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: California choice-of-law clauses are analyzed under Restatement (Second) Conflict of Laws §187 and California Civil Code. For EEA users, Rome I Regulation (EC 593/2008) governs contractual choice of law, which cannot deprive consumers of protections afforded by their country of habitual residence. UK users retain protections under Rome I (retained in UK law).

🔒

Compliance intelligence locked

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

Watcher $9.99/mo Professional $149/mo

Watcher: regulatory citations. Professional: full compliance memo.

Applicable agencies

  • State AG
    State Attorneys General in non-California states may challenge forum selection clauses that effectively deprive residents of access to local courts under state consumer protection statutes.
    File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information
Document
Snapchat Terms of Service
Entity
Snapchat
Document last updated
March 24, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
April 28, 2026
Last verified
April 28, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-003988
Document ID
CA-D-00103
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
SHA-256
f926941156a952503e2f1211fadd96cd570e820a4db585304bdad744f2862fe5
Verified
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Change verified
How to Cite
ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: Snapchat | Document: Snapchat Terms of Service | Record: CA-P-003988
Captured: 2026-04-28 09:50:27 UTC | SHA-256: f926941156a95250…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/snapchat/snapchat-terms-of-service/governing-law-jurisdiction/
Accessed: April 29, 2026
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

Other provisions in this document