Sarah Tew/CNET

Amazon has quietly updated its terms of service to allow customers to bring lawsuits to court, instead of requiring that disputes be handled in arbitration. The move, reportedly earlier by The Wall Street Journal, bucks a trend employed by many companies, with arbitration agreements buried in the terms of service for many apps and websites.

The conditions of use on Amazon’s website, which says it was updated May 3, now state: “Any dispute or claim relating in any way to your use of any Amazon Service will be adjudicated in the state or Federal courts in King County, Washington, and you consent to exclusive jurisdiction and venue in these courts. We each waive any right to a jury trial.”

The two sentences replace more than 350 words detailing Amazon’s previous arbitration requirements, according to the Journal. Arbitration is a private process used to solve disputes outside of the traditional court system. The retail giant has faced criticism in the past for forcing consumers, as well as workers and third-party sellers, to use arbitration to settle disputes.

The change comes after Amazon was reportedly flooded with thousands of individual arbitration demands filed by lawyers on behalf of consumers using the company’s Echo devices. The burst of demands “triggered a bill for tens of millions of dollars in filing fees,” payable by Amazon under its earlier terms, according to the Journal.

Amazon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.