Benzinga | Aug 25, 2021 05:28PM EDT

Why Yelp is Getting Criticism For Its New COVID-19 Policies

Yelp Inc (NYSE:YELP) is facing some heat. That's because some local restaurants are upset about the backlash they are receiving from customers or critics because of the COVID-19 vaccine policies they put on their business' Yelp webpage.

What Happened As the pandemic has evolved, Yelp has allowed for two "searchable attributes" -- whether proof of vaccination is required and if all the staff are fully vaccinated -- to give customers a better window into the operations of businesses. The attributes are free and can only be activated by the business itself, according to a Yelp spokesperson.

But this hasn't always stopped "review bombing," where particularly nasty reviews are made on a business's Yelp page.

One restaurant owner told the Wall Street Journal that Yelp is a "train wreck" because the louder, "more obnoxious people" are able to get more attention for their boorish comments on the website, as opposed to quieter, less controversial opinions, which don't gain the same traction.

But a Yelp representative said they are trying to be more aware of businesses that specifically use the company's new searchable attributes, and thereafter remove review bombing comments.

"To help protect businesses that may experience backlash for their vaccination policies, we are proactively monitoring Yelp pages of businesses that activate these attributes," wrote a spokesperson in an email. "This is one of the significant measures Yelp takes to maintain the integrity and quality of the content on our platform."

What Else Encouraging COVID-19 safety precautions in general has been controversial in the U.S. as many people don't want to get vaccinated or wear a mask. As of the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about half of those eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine are fully vaccinated.

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