Overview
- Amazon updated its U.S. terms this week and emailed customers that binding arbitration and an individual-only class-action waiver take effect immediately and that continued use equals agreement.
- The new terms define 'mass arbitration' as 25 or more related cases filed within six months and require resolving those claims in batches of at least 25.
- Amazon said disputes filed before the change are not affected and that customers may still pursue eligible claims in small-claims court.
- The company framed arbitration as a faster, lower-cost option, but arbitration hearings are private and do not create public case law or broad settlements.
- The change reverses Amazon’s 2021 removal of similar terms after roughly 75,000 Alexa-related arbitration filings and is likely to reduce public class suits unless judges find the waiver unenforceable.