{"id":368950,"date":"2023-01-09T17:30:08","date_gmt":"2023-01-09T22:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/litigation\/filing-a-lawsuit\/can-i-sue-yelp-for-defamation.html"},"modified":"2025-06-25T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T05:00:00","slug":"can-i-sue-yelp-for-defamation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/litigation\/filing-a-lawsuit\/can-i-sue-yelp-for-defamation.html","title":{"rendered":"Can I Sue Yelp for Defamation?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Can I Sue Yelp for Defamation?<\/h1>\n
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\n By Steven Ellison, Esq.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Joseph Fawbush, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

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You can’t sue Yelp for defamation because federal law protects platforms from liability for content posted by users. If someone posts a false and damaging review, your legal claim would be against the individual reviewer, not Yelp.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 immunizes internet platforms, such as Yelp, from lawsuits for content posted by third parties. If you believe someone defamed you in a customer review on Yelp, you wouldn’t be able to win a defamation suit against Yelp itself.<\/p>\r\n

You may be able to sue the person who posted the online review for defamation if you can establish that the post was a false statement that damaged your reputation. The main obstacle will likely be identifying and locating the person who you believe defamed you.<\/p>\r\n

A negative review can hurt your business and deter potential customers. A personal injury lawyer<\/a> can help you identify the reviewer and pursue a defamation case if the statement meets the legal criteria.<\/p>\r\n

What Is Yelp?<\/h2>\r\n

If you’ve ever searched for restaurant or business reviews on the internet, you probably have encountered Yelp<\/a>. Yelp was founded in 2004 as a crowd-sourced online directory for businesses. You can search Yelp using its website or an app and get listings filtered by, among other things, location, price range, delivery service, and the ability to accept reservations.<\/p>\r\n

Yelp has a social aspect. It encourages Yelp users to leave written reviews and star ratings of places in its directory, as well as post pictures of their experiences there. As of December 2024, about 308 million reviews<\/a> were available on Yelp.<\/p>\r\n

Yelp’s review system is somewhat controversial. Some believe it’s unreliable. Less scrupulous business owners will try to promote their businesses by posting fake positive reviews. Some unhappy people will go out of their way to punish a business by leaving a scathing or even a false review, and negative Yelp reviews can really hurt a business.<\/p>\r\n

A False Yelp Review Can Hurt Your Business<\/h2>\r\n

Suppose you own a popular diner<\/a> in a sleepy river town. Your customers consist of regulars and tourists. You are particularly proud of your stellar 5-star Yelp rating and revel in the unanimously positive reviews you’ve earned. You make it a point to thank folks on Yelp who have said nice things about your business, so you check to see if there are any honest reviews at the end of each day.<\/p>\r\n

One day, you sign in and see your rating has dropped to a mediocre 4.2 stars. You have no idea what happened until you scroll down and see the following one-star review posted by a user unfamiliar to you:<\/p>\r\n

"This place sucks. The food is terrible. No one in their right mind would want to eat here. Besides, I heard that the Health Department shut them down for a month because the kitchen was filthy! Maybe it still is \u2013 it would explain why the food is so bad."<\/i><\/p>\r\n

You are both outraged and crushed. This entire bad Yelp review is a lie. No one has ever said that your food is anything other than delicious. You have never gotten any negative comments. Further, you have never even received a citation, let alone been shut down by the Health Department.<\/p>\r\n

After the shock wears off, you grow worried. You don’t think the review will be trending on social media<\/a>, but even one negative review can hurt your small business. You ask Yelp to pull the false review, but they won’t do it. You don’t know who this user is, but since they refused to remove the review, you believe you should be able to sue Yelp for defamation<\/a>. <\/p>\r\n

Internet Regulation and Section 230<\/h2>\r\n

In its early years, the internet was much like the Wild West. Virtually anything and everything, from cooking recipes to child pornography, could be shared online anonymously. Internet service providers became concerned that they might be held liable for indecent and often illegal material posted on their platforms. They lobbied Congress for relief from civil lawsuits based on such content.<\/p>\r\n

In 1996, Congress passed the Communications Decency Act<\/a> as part of Title V of the Telecommunications Act. This statute represented Congress’s first noteworthy attempt to regulate pornography on the internet. Although the U.S. Supreme Court later struck down the anti-porn provisions of the Act, one section that survived was section 230.<\/p>\r\n

Section 230<\/a> authorizes internet providers and platforms, called interactive computer services, to block and screen offensive material. Section 230(c)(1) essentially states that no provider of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of information provided by another content provider. Courts have construed this provision to immunize internet service providers and platforms from most lawsuits relating to content posted by third parties.<\/p>\r\n

You Can’t Sue Yelp<\/h2>\r\n

Because of Section 230, you would not be able to sue Yelp for any harm caused by the negative consumer review. Yelp is considered to be an interactive computer service. The review was posted by someone other than Yelp, even if Yelp has the power to remove the review.<\/p>\r\n

Yelp is immune from a civil suit<\/a> related to the content of the review, regardless of the legal theory you want to pursue. So your defamation lawsuit against Yelp would not be successful.<\/p>\r\n

You May Be Able To Sue the Reviewer for Online Reviews<\/h2>\r\n

You might not be able to sue Yelp, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have options. Although it will take time and effort, you may be able to find the user and sue them for defamation.<\/p>\r\n

Defamation<\/h3>\r\n

Defamation<\/a> is a legal claim that allows you to recover money for harm done to your reputation. If it’s in writing, it’s called libel. If it’s spoken, it’s called slander. Regardless of the form, you need to prove the following elements to establish defamation:<\/p>\r\n