Yelp exists to empower and protect consumers, providing them with the information they need to make a decision, whether they are looking for a mover, a brunch spot, or even a hospital. Today, in partnership with the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) and Cal Hospital Compare, we are announcing that Yelp will begin displaying maternity… Read more
Consumer Advocacy
How Google’s Local Search Results Harm Consumers and Why the EU Acted
For more, see focusontheuser.eu Today, the European Commission announced that Google has breached antitrust rules by manipulating search results to favor its own vertical search services. In a landmark decision, the EU antitrust enforcement body hit Google with a record fine of €2.42 billion and gave Google a deadline of 90 days to end all… Read more
Find Gender-neutral Restrooms at 160,000+ Businesses on Yelp
Since launching our new gender-neutral restrooms attribute on Yelp in March, the feature has really taken off. There are now more than 160,000 businesses on Yelp that are marked as having gender-neutral restrooms. That’s one of the largest databases available for this information! A breakdown of the categories of business that have been marked as… Read more
Now Use Yelp to Find Gender-neutral Restrooms
Today we’ve begun rolling out a new business attribute that helps users identify businesses that offer gender-neutral restrooms to patrons. What constitutes a gender-neutral restroom, you ask? Gender-neutral restrooms are accessible to persons of any gender and are a locking, single-stall bathroom. On desktop and mobile versions of Yelp, users will be able to see… Read more
Consumer Alerts: Zero Tolerance For Review Manipulation
Today we’re releasing a new round of 90 Consumer Alerts to notify consumers of businesses that have attempted to mislead them. We already discourage businesses from asking their customers to write reviews because review solicitation programs tend to bias selectively toward positive reviewers. Our recommendation software works to sniff out these subtle biases, which will… Read more
It’s obvious why a review that is paid for or written in exchange for a discount or freebie may be biased: the reviewer might be willing to shower false praise on a business if they get something of monetary value in return. Yelp lets consumers know when we see this behavior with a Consumer Alert… Read more
New York Attorney General Goes After Misleading Businesses
Today — in a continuation of its pioneering investigation a few years ago — the New York Attorney General announced settlements with two businesses that tried to mislead consumers, including through attempts to manipulate Yelp reviews. We applaud the NY AG for recognizing the harm these deceptive activities can cause and are proud that Yelp’s… Read more
Yelp Adds Restaurant Inspection Scores for Florida Businesses with HDScores
At Yelp, we work hard to surface the most useful information to consumers while they’re in the process of making a spending decision. That’s why we launched the LIVES program (LIVES stands for Local Inspector Value Entry Specification) back in 2013. The LIVES open data standard makes it possible for local municipalities to display their… Read more
Protecting Free Speech: Why Yelp is Marking Businesses That Sue Their Customers
Since Yelp was founded in 2004, we’ve made it our business to help protect consumer free speech. Consumers have the right to share their opinions about their experiences with businesses, but there will always be a small handful of businesses who mistakenly think it’s a good idea to threaten consumers who exercise their free speech… Read more
Yelp Fights for Free Speech at the House of Representatives
Today, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice is holding a hearing on the SPEAK FREE Act of 2015. This legislation will bolster our First Amendment protections, ensuring that honest speakers have a way to quickly and economically end meritless lawsuits that target them for what they’ve said online — on review… Read more