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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/20230080
Noticed this update got pushed just now.
Edit: Seems they’re doing this to prevent costs from arbitration.
Regardless of their motivations this seems like a big positive. Forced arbitration clauses should be illegal and unenforceable in any context where it isn't customary for both parties to have legal counsel reading over the contract. And it's appalling that waivers for class action lawsuits are legal at all.
After the Disney debacle I've started noticing how many I see. It's really infuriating. I already had the opinion that they should be illegal but holy fuck they're everywhere.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but this looks like a major _de-_enshitification step on the part of Steam.
I'm not missing something big, am I?
Software has been leveraged to do mass arbitrations against companies that insist on enforcing it, somewhat leveling the playing field in the power imbalance, at no less a cost than courts ultimately for the corps. Tricky enough they've found it hard to make language against them too.
So in a sense, it is de-enshitification but it is more likely borne from Steam throwing in the towel against a losing proposition (preventing costly mass-arbitration) than doing so because they want every user to have the maximum legal recourse.
A W is a W though, imo.
What does it mean? Also, does it affect everyone or just the US; because I did not see a popup about it in the EU.
It means that the key to getting a company to ditch arbitration is for enough people to win individual arbitration cases. There's arbitration lawyers who hedge their whole careers on arbitration payouts
And that i good because.....?
It means ipso facto, habeas corpus, magico, arbitration, parliamentarian moo deng, lorem ipsum.