Yelp data can tell us so much about the cities we live in. It can tell us the best restaurant for dinner, barbershop for a haircut, or even help find a great plumber. A study released today by three Harvard economists uses Yelp data to provide new insights into gentrification at the neighborhood level –… Read more
The “Right to Yelp” Law in Action!
A few years ago, Yelp championed passage of the Consumer Review Fairness Act (CRFA) — more commonly known as the “Right to Yelp” bill. The goal of this federal law is to protect consumers’ ability to share feedback online by prohibiting businesses from including “gag clauses” in consumer form contracts. And it’s done just that,… Read more
5 Years Later: Google Raises its 2014 European Antitrust Settlement Proposal from the Dead
Last week we saw concerning reports that Google is preparing to propose a toothless settlement deal to the European Commission that is similar to —and even worse than — the settlements that the European Commission rejected 2013 to 2014. Yelp welcomes a meaningful remedy from Google that preserves competition. Unfortunately, the latest proposal falls far… Read more
CBS “60 Minutes” piece on Google’s abuse of dominance
Tonight, CBS “60 Minutes” ran a segment about the size and power of Google. The piece speaks for itself and you should watch it: Google chose not to participate in the piece, instead offering the following written statement: “Our responsibility is to deliver the best results possible to our users, not specific placements for sites… Read more
World Consumer Rights Day: Yelp Calls for an End to Market Abuses Undermining Consumer Rights
On March 15th, Yelp is celebrating World Consumer Rights Day. On this day in 1962, former US President John F. Kennedy made a historic speech in which he extolled four basic consumer rights: the right to be informed, the right to choose, the right to be protected, and the right to be heard. These rights… Read more
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
Yelp Stands Up For Net Neutrality
You’ve heard us talk about Google’s anti-competitive practices in local search before. By manipulating search results for local business information in its favor, Google is impeding consumers’ ability to find the best information. Unfortunately, using size and reach to constrain consumer choice isn’t limited to Google, and is increasingly becoming a strategy that appeals… Read more
Yelp Stands with Gavin Grimm
Yelp is proud to join the Human Rights Campaign’s amicus brief in support of Gavin Grimm. With the help of the ACLU and others, Gavin sued his local school board in Virginia, which had denied him access to the boys’ restroom at his school because he is a transgender boy. A federal court denied his… Read more
Protecting Free Speech: The “Right to Yelp” Bill Becomes Federal Law
Put on your party pants, folks, because today is a big day! The Consumer Review Fairness Act has been signed into law by President Obama, banning “gag clause” provisions in consumer-form contracts that seek to prevent people from writing negative reviews online. We recently shared a blog post on this bill, when it passed the… Read more
Yelp for Government, One Year Later
A little over a year ago, Yelp and the federal government finalized a terms of service agreement that allows federal agencies and offices to claim their Yelp listings, respond to reviews and measure visitor activity to their listings on Yelp. We believed at the time that our platform could be a bridge connecting citizen-consumers to… Read more