Libel on YELP.
March 26, 2019 10:31 AM Subscribe
I was libeled, by name, on YELP. The statements are blatently untrue. I want to flag it/have it removed. However, in order to do that, I have to sign up for an account and to agree to their terms and conditions which state that I do not hold YELP liable for content on their site. Fuck that! Now what?
Yelp basically has one contact number which is only connetced to a roboanswer machine. Any other leads on how to contact them in person/get review removed/talk to a human/live chat/email/etc?
Barring that, what jurisdiction are they in.
Yelp basically has one contact number which is only connetced to a roboanswer machine. Any other leads on how to contact them in person/get review removed/talk to a human/live chat/email/etc?
Barring that, what jurisdiction are they in.
Before you do anything, be wary of the Streisand effect. Your actions might cause more people to see this than not.
posted by cazoo at 10:52 AM on March 26, 2019 [8 favorites]
posted by cazoo at 10:52 AM on March 26, 2019 [8 favorites]
Can you get a friend who has a Yelp account to flag it for you?
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:56 AM on March 26, 2019 [14 favorites]
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:56 AM on March 26, 2019 [14 favorites]
Yelp is really good about removing "blatently untrue" reviews when flagged, FYI. I use Yelp a ton, and have flagged reviews that were obviously written by employees, and Yelp has a real person review them and delete as appropriate. I've never had them leave up a flagged review (but I only flag things that are obviously against the TOS/spam/harassment/etc.).
posted by DoubleLune at 10:58 AM on March 26, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by DoubleLune at 10:58 AM on March 26, 2019 [5 favorites]
It sounds like you may benefit from consulting with a lawyer. Also, via Legal Questions and How do I send a subpoena to Yelp? "Yelp accepts properly served and lawfully issued subpoenas from California state courts, and the Northern District of California."
posted by Little Dawn at 11:04 AM on March 26, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by Little Dawn at 11:04 AM on March 26, 2019 [5 favorites]
If you don't want to sign up for their services in order to file a report, then I would send them a letter directed to "LEGAL DEPARTMENT" or "GENERAL COUNSEL" and the address in their 10-K filings: 140 New Montgomery Street, 9th Floor San Francisco, California 94105. Explain in the letter that there is defamatory content posted about you (and give them the link for the page), demand that they take it down, and explain that you are not reporting this through the app because you do not agree to the terms of service.
That said - Yelp is essentially immune from suits for damages based on user-posted content under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, so I wouldn't worry that much about trying to hold them liable. (I.e., they basically aren't.)
posted by Mid at 11:25 AM on March 26, 2019 [14 favorites]
That said - Yelp is essentially immune from suits for damages based on user-posted content under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, so I wouldn't worry that much about trying to hold them liable. (I.e., they basically aren't.)
posted by Mid at 11:25 AM on March 26, 2019 [14 favorites]
Private message me the address to the review with details about why it's false and I'll flag it for you.
Yelp is really good about removing "blatently untrue" reviews when flagged
I haven't found that to be the case at all. Their general approach to things that are provably false is that there are two sides to every story and the subject of the review is free to offer their side publicly, but they don't weigh in on what is true or not.
They don't care that you're an advertiser. Sales and editorial is completely separate despite what a lot of people think.
They'll take it down if it looks like a shill and that may be what you mean by blatantly untrue.
They used to take down reviews that mention people by name, but they're a lot more lax about that now.
posted by willnot at 5:08 PM on March 27, 2019
Yelp is really good about removing "blatently untrue" reviews when flagged
I haven't found that to be the case at all. Their general approach to things that are provably false is that there are two sides to every story and the subject of the review is free to offer their side publicly, but they don't weigh in on what is true or not.
They don't care that you're an advertiser. Sales and editorial is completely separate despite what a lot of people think.
They'll take it down if it looks like a shill and that may be what you mean by blatantly untrue.
They used to take down reviews that mention people by name, but they're a lot more lax about that now.
posted by willnot at 5:08 PM on March 27, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Autumnheart at 10:42 AM on March 26, 2019