Whatnot · Whatnot Terms of Service · View original document ↗

Class Action Waiver

High severity Medium confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Common · 86 of 343 platforms
Share 𝕏 Share in Share 🔒 PDF
Recent governance activity Whatnot recorded 6 documented changes in the last 30 days.
Start monitoring updates
Monitor governance changes for Whatnot Create a free account to receive the weekly governance digest and monitor one platform for governance changes.
Create free account No credit card required.
Document Record

What it is

The agreement requires users and Whatnot to bring any claims only in an individual capacity, prohibiting participation in class action or representative action proceedings.

This analysis describes what Whatnot'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)

This clause, in conjunction with the mandatory arbitration provision, requires all claims to proceed individually, which may affect the practical ability of users to pursue low-value claims where individual arbitration costs may be disproportionate to potential recovery.

Interpretive note: Enforceability of class action waivers in consumer contracts varies by jurisdiction; state law challenges may limit enforcement in California and other states with active consumer protection frameworks.

Recent Activity

This document changed recently

High May 30, 2026

Strategic sellers on Whatnot are now subject to mandatory arbitration for all disputes with the platform instead of having access to California courts. The updated agreement states that arbitration under the main Terms of Service is the exclusive forum and procedure for resolving disputes, except only to the extent the Terms of Service expressly permit otherwise. This removes the right to jury trial and appeal to higher courts, streamlining dispute resolution to a single binding arbitration proceeding. You can review the arbitration provisions in Section 21 of Whatnot's main Terms of Service to understand the specific procedures and limitations that will apply to any dispute.

View change record →
Medium May 14, 2026

The updated terms establish a formal opt-in creator program for UK users that permits Whatnot to collect, edit, modify, translate, and promote user-submitted content (videos, images, captions, account information) across its own channels and third-party platforms (TikTok, Instagram, paid social) for one year from submission. Under the revised framework, creators who participate must provide raw video files, tax documentation, and payment information before receiving program benefits, and Whatnot retains discretion to reject submissions, change reward amounts, or terminate the program entirely. Whatnot is not responsible for payment delays caused by incomplete documentation. You can decline participation entirely by not submitting content to the program, or submit selectively and control what content you make available.

View change record →

Clause Stability Mostly Stable

1
Change
1
Month Monitored
May 8, 2026
First Seen
May 22, 2026
Last Seen
This clause type exists across 560 other provisions on other platforms.
This clause has changed once in 1 month of monitoring.

Change history

modified May 30, 2026

Removed the arbitrator consolidation language and completely eliminated the jury trial waiver clause from this provision.

View full change record →

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

The agreement requires each user to bring claims only on an individual basis, not as part of a class or representative action. This applies to all disputes covered by the arbitration provision.

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
    The class action waiver is part of the arbitration provision. To opt out of both the arbitration clause and the class action waiver, submit written opt-out notice to Whatnot within 30 days of agreeing to the Terms of Service.

How other platforms handle this

Teachable Medium

You and Teachable agree to resolve any disputes through final and binding arbitration, except as set forth under Exceptions to Agreement to Arbitrate below. You also agree that disputes will only be resolved on an individual basis and not as a class, consolidated, or representative action.

Substack Medium

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 and Procedures of Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, Inc. ("JAMS") then in effect, by ...

Netflix Medium

WHERE PERMITTED UNDER THE APPLICABLE LAW, YOU AND NETFLIX 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 PROCEEDING. Further, where permitted under the applicable law, unless ...

See all platforms with this clause type →

Monitoring

Whatnot has changed this document before.

Receive same-day alerts, structured change summaries, and monitoring for up to 25 platforms.

Start Monitor free trial Or create a free account →
▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
CLASS ACTION WAIVER. YOU AND WHATNOT 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.

— Excerpt from Whatnot's Whatnot Terms of Service

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

1. REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: Class action waivers in consumer contracts are regulated under state consumer protection statutes and have been subject to challenge under California's Consumers Legal Remedies Act and similar state laws. The FAA generally preempts state law challenges to class action waivers in arbitration clauses under existing federal precedent, though this area of law remains active. The FTC and state attorneys general are the primary enforcement authorities. 2. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: High. Class action waivers in consumer contracts face ongoing regulatory scrutiny. The combination of mandatory arbitration and class action waiver in a consumer marketplace context creates governance exposure in jurisdictions with active consumer protection enforcement. 3. JURISDICTION FLAGS: California, New Jersey, and Washington present heightened exposure. EU and UK consumer protection frameworks may limit enforceability of class action waivers for users in those jurisdictions. 4. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Sellers and business partners contracting with Whatnot should assess whether this waiver applies to commercial disputes and whether it conflicts with any separately negotiated dispute resolution terms in seller or partner agreements. 5. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should assess whether the class action waiver disclosure is presented with sufficient prominence and whether applicable state law requires additional notice or cooling-off periods beyond the 30-day arbitration opt-out.

Full compliance analysis

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

Track 1 platform — free Try Monitor free for 14 days

Free: track 1 platform + weekly digest. Monitor: 25 platforms + same-day alerts. No credit card required.

Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC has authority over consumer contract terms that may constitute unfair or deceptive acts or practices, including class action waivers in consumer-facing agreements.
    File a complaint →
  • State AG
    State attorneys general in California and other states have enforcement authority over consumer contract terms that restrict class action rights.
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

FAA
United States Federal

Provision details

Document information
Document
Whatnot Terms of Service
Entity
Whatnot
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 21, 2026
Last verified
May 21, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-006740
Document ID
CA-D-00731
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
edfabe18c30c0c9dfe08867c3872885e0d963241db8222ec0afffc7bd4e70e0c
Analysis generated
May 21, 2026 00:01 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Whatnot
Document: Whatnot Terms of Service
Record ID: CA-P-006740
Captured: 2026-05-21 00:01:17 UTC
SHA-256: edfabe18c30c0c9d…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/whatnot/whatnot-terms-of-service/class-action-waiver/
Accessed: June 8, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

Other risks in this policy

Related Analysis

Compliance Governance Intelligence

Need to monitor specific governance provisions?

Compliance includes provision-level monitoring, governance timelines, regulatory mapping, and audit-ready analysis.

Arbitration clauses AI governance Data rights Indemnification Retention policies
Start Compliance free trial

Or start with Monitor →

Built from archived source documents, structured governance mappings, and historical version tracking.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Whatnot's Class Action Waiver clause do?

This clause, in conjunction with the mandatory arbitration provision, requires all claims to proceed individually, which may affect the practical ability of users to pursue low-value claims where individual arbitration costs may be disproportionate to potential recovery.

How does this clause affect you?

The agreement requires each user to bring claims only on an individual basis, not as part of a class or representative action. This applies to all disputes covered by the arbitration provision.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 86 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Whatnot?

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