If you’ve launched Steam in the last 24 hours, you’ve probably seen a pop-up asking you to agree to a new program. . Valve announced the changes in an official blog post and in particular, binding arbitration is no longer part of the SSA.
Mandatory arbitration is a requirement that disputes be resolved by a judicial process outside the courts. Instead of a judge, an arbitrator oversees these disputes and is paid by the company for their services. You can imagine why there might be some inherent conflicts of interest (or why companies love them). Instead, the new SSA states that customers should first seek resolution of any issues by contacting Steam Support. If no resolution is possible, disputes will be referred to the courts instead of individual arbitration.
With the rise of Terms of Service agreements in recent years, arbitration clauses have become ubiquitous. The next time you download software, join a website, or even sign a contract for a new job, take a look at the contract: more often than not, you’ve waived your right to sue.
The new SSA does not contain a class action waiver, which previously prohibited groups of similarly situated plaintiffs from suing jointly, a major departure from other Terms of Service agreements.
Valve says the changes will have a “limited impact” in the EU and some regions, including the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Quebec. The arbitration requirement in SSA did not apply to these regions.
While these are positive developments for consumers, Steam has not disclosed the reasons for making these changes. We’ve reached out to a Steam representative for comment and will update if we hear back.
