Companies weaponize TOS against you

"Forced arbitration is similarly everywhere in modern life. Deep in every single terms of service for almost any product you buy or service you use there's a clause that says that by buying or using the thing, you're giving up your right to join a class-action suit if something goes wrong and instead you and the company have to go to arbitration."

"One you'll hear Brendan talk about - which we also covered here on The Verge - was the very sad instance where a man's wife died of an allergic reaction after eating at a Disney World restaurant. When the man sued, Disney tried to force him into arbitration instead, arguing that because he'd signed up for streaming service Disney+ many years earlier, he'd waived his right to sue."

"Disney changed their tune after massive public pushback, as you may remember. But there are thousands or maybe millions of other, lower-profile instances every year where consumers and employees have completely lost their right to redress if something goes wrong. Brendan's book really delves into how and why we got here - spoiler: we can blame Antonin Scalia for some of it - but also, most importantly, what we might be able to do about it in the future."

"Brendan and the Public Integrity Project are also in the early stages of legal action against Paramount over possible quid pro quo with the Trump administration in the Warner Bros. acquisition. So we had to start by talking about that."

Forced arbitration clauses are embedded in many terms of service, requiring consumers and employees to arbitrate disputes instead of joining class-action lawsuits. High-profile cases show how these clauses can be deeply unfair, including a situation where a man’s wife died after an allergic reaction at a Disney World restaurant and Disney attempted to force arbitration by claiming a prior Disney+ signup waived the right to sue. Public backlash led Disney to change its approach, but many lower-profile disputes still leave people without meaningful legal redress. The work also traces how arbitration became widespread and considers future actions, including legal efforts involving Paramount and potential improper arrangements tied to the Trump administration.

Read at The Verge