Substack · Substack Terms of Use · View original document ↗

Mandatory JAMS Arbitration in San Francisco

High severity High confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Common · 207 of 352 platforms
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This analysis describes what Substack's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

Mandatory arbitration in a specific venue and under a specific set of rules removes disputes from public courts, limits procedural options available to users, and requires users outside California to arbitrate in San Francisco County.

Interpretive note: The excerpt includes an ellipsis ('...of JAMS'), which may indicate omitted text specifying the full name or version of the rules. The canonical claim preserves the language as provided without speculating about omitted content.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Users cannot litigate disputes arising from or relating to the Terms in court; such disputes must be arbitrated in San Francisco County, California under JAMS Streamlined Arbitration Rules.

How other platforms handle this

Wise Medium

Neither you nor we may elect arbitration of any claims seeking only individualized relief asserted by you or us in small claims court, so long as the action remains in that court and is not removed or appealed de novo...

Chegg Medium

in the event that there are 100 or more individual Requests of a similar nature filed against Chegg by or with the assistance of the same law firm...within a 30 day period...the AAA (1) will administer the arbitration demands in batches of 100 Requests per batch...

Microsoft Copilot Medium

except disputes relating to the enforcement or validity of your, your licensors', our, or our licensors' intellectual property rights

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
Any dispute arising from or relating to the subject matter of these Terms shall be finally settled by arbitration in San Francisco County, California, in accordance with the Streamlined Arbitration Rules...of JAMS.

— Excerpt from Substack's Substack Terms of Use

Applicable regulations

FAA
United States Federal

Provision details

Document information
Document
Substack Terms of Use
Entity
Substack
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 21, 2026
Last verified
May 21, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-029434
Document ID
CA-D-00177
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
d2d135642274ee5eac38277ac41a146ef9980ab32b5eaa9fe939658be5f65972
Analysis generated
May 21, 2026 01:31 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Substack
Document: Substack Terms of Use
Record ID: CA-P-029434
Captured: 2026-05-21 01:31:22 UTC
SHA-256: d2d135642274ee5e…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/substack/substack-terms-of-use/provision/CA-P-029434/mandatory-jams-arbitration-in-san-francisco/
Accessed: July 13, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Substack's Mandatory JAMS Arbitration in San Francisco clause do?

Mandatory arbitration in a specific venue and under a specific set of rules removes disputes from public courts, limits procedural options available to users, and requires users outside California to arbitrate in San Francisco County.

How does this clause affect you?

Users cannot litigate disputes arising from or relating to the Terms in court; such disputes must be arbitrated in San Francisco County, California under JAMS Streamlined Arbitration Rules.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 207 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Substack?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Substack.