Steam just removed its forced arbitration policy, opening the door for lawsuits against its parent company, Valve. In an update on Thursday, Steam says its subscriber agreement “now provides that any disputes are to go forward in court instead of arbitration.”
Many companies include a forced arbitration clause in their user agreement, waiving a person’s right to a trial in court. Arbitration involves settling a dispute outside a legal system before an impartial third party. This method is often faster but may not get the best results for consumers, as arbitrators don’t need to consider the law when issuing a decision.
Previously, Steam’s user agreement said that “you and Valve agree to resolve all disputes and claims between us in individual binding arbitration” for all disputes related to Steam, your account, hardware, or the company’s content and services. The new agreement eliminates any mention of a binding arbitration policy.
Steam doesn’t say why it decided to suddenly remove the forced arbitration clause. As pointed out by 404 Media, a group of plaintiffs recently challenged Valve’s forced arbitration policy and were able to file a class action lawsuit over Steam’s dominance.
