General Mills abandons mandatory arbitration after consumer outcry

General Mills has reversed a recent change to its online legal policy after an outcry by consumers.

The policy had been quietly updated to include terms under which any dispute with the company would have to be decided through arbitration. Critics and legal experts said the new terms could cost consumers their right to sue in court if they merely "liked" General Mills' social media pages, downloaded coupons from its website, or entered any company-sponsored contests. General Mills initially criticized the media reports on the policy, saying they had mischaracterized it. The company also defended arbitration as "a straightforward and efficient way to resolve such disputes -- and many companies take the same approach. We even cover the cost of arbitration in most cases." But the coverage set off a consumer outcry on social media, eventually leading to the abrupt reversal.