If you are a US Snapchat user and have a legal dispute with Snap, you must resolve it through individual arbitration — not by suing in court — and you cannot join a class action lawsuit with other users.
Consumer impact (what this means for users)
US Snapchat users who experience harm caused by Snap — such as a data breach or deceptive practices — cannot sue Snap in court or as part of a group; they must individually arbitrate, which is a costly and procedurally complex process that disproportionately discourages small individual claims.
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
Send a written letter to Snap Inc. at 3000 31st Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405 within 30 days of first agreeing to these Terms. State clearly that you are opting out of mandatory arbitration and include your name and Snapchat username.
Cross-platform context
See how other platforms handle Mandatory Individual Arbitration & Class Action Waiver and similar clauses.
This clause removes your right to sue Snap in court and to band together with other affected users in a class action, which significantly reduces your practical ability to seek legal remedies for widespread harms.
View original clause language
If you are a Snapchat user located in the United States, you and Snap 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 will be resolved by binding arbitration between you and Snap, 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. YOU AND SNAP AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION.
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision is governed by the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) 9 U.S.C. §1 et seq. It implicates FTC Act Section 5 (unfair practices), and is subject to scrutiny under the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) arbitration rule attempts (vacated 2017 but subject to ongoing regulatory attention). State-level challenges include California AB 51 (currently enjoined by federal courts) and McGill v. Citibank, N.A. (2017) which bars waiver of public injunctive relief under California law.
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Applicable agencies
FTC
The FTC has jurisdiction over unfair or deceptive practices in consumer contracts under FTC Act Section 5, including mandatory arbitration clauses that restrict consumer legal recourse.
State Attorneys General, particularly in California and New York, have authority to challenge class action waivers in consumer contracts under state consumer protection statutes.