Appeals Court Enforces Arbitration Clause In Hyperlinked Terms & Conditions

In an important decision concerning the enforceability of an arbitration clause included in a mobile app's Terms of Service, the federal appeals court in New York recently found that a reasonably prudent smartphone user would recognize that blue, underlined text within an Internet-linked app leads to another page where additional information can be found.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit therefore held that a mobile app's registration screen, notifying the user that by registering, he or she will be bound by the app's "Terms of Service," is sufficient to bind that user to a contractual arbitration provision included in those Terms of Service, reversing the district judge's decision that determined such hyperlinked terms to be unenforceable.