Following criticism of its new legal restrictions, General Mills has reversed its policy. The change warned customers who interacted with its brands, for example, by downloading a coupon, that they would give up their rights to sue and would be forced into an abritration process instead.

In an email, a company spokesperson conveyed what The New York Times calls a "stunning about-face":

"Because our concerns and intentions were widely misunderstood, causing concerns among our consumers, we've decided to change them back to what they were. As a result, the recently updated legal terms are being removed from our websites, and we are announcing today that we have reverted back to our prior legal terms, which contain no mention of arbitration."

The decision was further announced on the General Mills blog:

Here's the company's tweet about the change:

Discussion Starters:

• Was this the right decision for General Mills? What are the consequences either way?
• Assess the company's blog post. What works well, and what could be improved?