Yelp Gangsters

You’ve probably heard of Yelp, the popular online platform where consumers share reviews about their experiences with local businesses. For many, Yelp is trusted as a transparent and fair system that helps navigate the sea of options, from finding a new hairstylist to booking the perfect Friday night dinner reservation. As a small business owner, I initially respected this model—an organic, peer-to-peer review system that gives consumers a voice while providing businesses with valuable feedback.

Running a small business means pouring your heart and soul into creating meaningful experiences for your clients. Reviews are more than just a score; they’re the culmination of countless hours of hard work, dedication, and passion. Positive feedback celebrates that effort, while constructive criticism offers insights to grow. However, I’ve come to realize that Yelp’s review moderation practices undermine this organic, authentic exchange. What should be a platform for transparency and fairness instead feels discriminatory, inconsistent, and unaccountable.

The Problem: An Arbitrary Algorithm

Yelp uses an AI-driven algorithm to decide which reviews are “worthy” of being featured. Seven of my clients’ thoughtful, authentic reviews were flagged and removed—reviews that reflected real experiences and highlighted the very essence of what my business strives to offer. When I sought clarification, I learned that the algorithm’s decisions are final. No appeal process. No reevaluation. Just a blanket rejection, as though these genuine voices were guilty without trial.

Imagine a justice system that operated this way—no right to challenge, no opportunity for review. It’s an appalling lack of accountability for a platform that wields so much influence over small businesses.

The Real Cost of Yelp’s Practices

When I contacted Yelp’s customer support, I was met with condescension and a thinly veiled sales pitch. The implication was clear: I hadn’t “invested enough” in the platform. This, despite the fact that Yelp essentially forces businesses to participate—whether we want to or not. If you don’t create your own page, someone else will, and the platform will moderate reviews about your business without your input or consent.

Even more frustrating is the justification Yelp uses for dismissing reviews. They claim that “not all reviews are equal,” penalizing new or casual users with limited platform activity. This means a glowing review from a first-time Yelp user—someone genuinely inspired to share their experience—is deemed less valuable than a review from someone who spends hours on the app. It’s a system that prioritizes data points and engagement metrics over authenticity, punishing small businesses and sincere reviewers alike.

Playing Both Sides

Here’s where it gets sneakier. While these flagged reviews are hidden from businesses, clients can often still see them on their end. This creates a misleading sense of transparency for reviewers, who may never realize their contributions are undervalued or suppressed. Yelp effectively plays both sides: appeasing individual users while undermining the businesses those reviews are meant to support.

Why This Matters

In an era where authenticity is a sought-after currency, Yelp’s practices feel like a betrayal of the very values it claims to uphold. Small businesses depend on platforms like Yelp for exposure, yet we have no control over how we’re represented or whether reviews that reflect our efforts are even visible.

If more people understood how Yelp leverages its influence—prioritizing profitability over fairness—they might demand better. Businesses deserve transparency. Reviewers deserve to have their voices heard. And consumers deserve an honest representation of the businesses they’re considering.

The Call to Action

It’s time to challenge Yelp’s AI-driven algorithm and push back against these discriminatory practices. Who decides which voices matter? Why isn’t there an avenue for businesses or consumers to question or appeal these decisions? These are questions we must ask—not just as small business owners, but as consumers who value fairness and transparency.

Let’s demand a more equitable system, one that doesn’t penalize authenticity or prioritize engagement metrics over integrity. If Yelp truly values the communities it claims to serve, it’s time they give every business and every review a fair shake.

By making the systemic flaws in Yelp’s review moderation clear, we can start a conversation that pushes for accountability and change. Together, we can work toward a more honest, transparent platform—one that celebrates the hard work of small businesses and the genuine voices of their clients.