american multinational corporation headquartered san_francisco california develops hosts markets mobile app publish crowd sourced reviews local businesses online reservation service online food delivery service company trains small businesses respond reviews hosts social events reviewers provides data businesses including health inspection scores founded employees grew quickly raised rounds funding million revenues website published million crowd sourced reviews expanded europe asia entered negotiations google potential acquisition public company march profitable time years later million monthly visitors million reviews company revenues come businesses advertising according complicated relationship small businesses criticism focus legitimacy reviews public statements manipulating blocking reviews order increase spending concerns privacy reviewers company history origins employees founded business conceived initial idea email based network caught flu difficult time finding online recommendation local doctor founders colleague founder provided million initial funding founder instigated local services project based user reviews came according initial email based system convoluted idea rejected investors attract users friends family usage data showed users answering requests real reviews feature allowed write reviews according san_francisco_chronicle site popularity designed late raised million funding million november number reviewers site grew summer site million monthly visitors raised million funding february elevation partners invested million million spent purchasing equity employees investors million invested sales staff expansion grew million monthly visitors million cities time period site million reviews revenues estimated million employed people private company introduced site united_kingdom january canada august non english site introduced france users option read write content french english launched sites austria germany spain netherlands international website traffic doubled time period australian website went live november supported partnership provided million initial business listings initially presence countries end including turkey denmark site asia introduced september singapore followed japan december google entered negotiations acquire company parties failed reach agreement according new_york_times google offered million deal fell yahoo offered billion reported google refused match yahoo offer offers later abandoned following disagreement management board directors offers june published study alleging google altering search results benefit online services began service called deals april august cut deals increased competition market september investigated allegations google web content authorization google search engine favored similar services provided january agreement google subject anti trust litigation allow services like ability opt having data google websites public entity present november filed initial public offering march company stock began public trading share price company million agreed acquire largest european rival million following year ceo reduced salary acquired start online reservation company million cash company stock second quarter revenue million exceeded expectations company profitable moved new corporate headquarters occupying nearly square feet floors new montgomery building san_francisco company profitable time second quarter result increasing spending business owners possibly changes google local search dubbed google helped authoritative local sites like getting visibility course year websites launched mexico japan argentina expanded europe acquisitions german based restaurant review site french based early february announced buying online food ordering service million late public services government section introduced began encouraging government agencies create monitor official government pages example created official pages later year began experimenting san_francisco consumer added pages restaurants poor scores government research conducted found reviews associated food poisoning strongly poor restaurant researchers columbia_university data identify previously restaurant related food poisoning features website crowd sourced local business review social networking site user community primarily active major metropolitan regions site pages devoted individual locations restaurants schools users submit review products services star rating system businesses update contact information hours basic listing information add special deals addition writing reviews users react reviews plan events discuss personal lives according important sites internet million monthly visitors million reviews established user base cities percent small businesses listed site rating stars better negative reviews personal extreme reviews written entertaining creative manner users review useful funny cool day review day determined based vote users percent searches mobile device iphone app introduced december august released update iphone app hidden easter egg augmented reality feature called allowed users looking iphone camera data businesses seen camera check features added users restaurant reservations feature added june features food ordered delivered added ability view inspection scores appointments content integrated mapping directions app apple september release ios features finding local businesses offering special deals users march added features ordering scheduling flowers golf legal things october company working collaboration hotel search site added features book hotels features businesses added ability business owners respond reviews businesses respond privately reviewer publicly profile page cases users bad experience updated reviews favorably businesses efforts right cases disputes reviewers business owners led harassment physical system led criticisms business owners bribe reviewers free food increase rating users rarely occurs business owner claim profile allows respond reviews traffic reports businesses offer users visit check feature released app business owners respond reviews manage profiles mobile device business owners flag reviews removed violate content guidelines revenues come selling ads sponsored listings small businesses pay listing appear search results feature ads pages competitors advertising revenue growing rate year allow businesses star rating sign advertising originally sponsored favorite review place positive review negative ones stopped offering option effort deter able negative reviews pay relationship businesses study published found star rating affected business owner sales percent study berkeley found increase stars resulted percent increase chances restaurant booked peak hours survey small business owners found percent concerned negative reviews percent respondents said felt online reviews unfair review written legitimate customer influential practice fake reviews written competitors business owners prevalent study harvard professor analyzed reviews boston found fake reviews rose site reviews review filter identifies percent reviews suspicious attempts evaluate review authentic filters reviews believes based patron actual personal experiences required site terms use review filter developed weeks site founded company saw obviously fake reviews filtered reviews moved special area counted businesses star rating filter filters legitimate reviews leading complaints business owners new_york attorney general said aggressive filter crowd sourced websites looked criticized filter works says reveal information smart conducts sting operations uncover businesses writing reviews october placed day consumer alert business listings believed paid reviews alert read caught red handed trying buy reviews business june filed lawsuit allegedly writing fake reviews pay sued lawyer alleged group law firms exchanged reviews saying firm reviews originated office lawyer said trying revenge legal disputes activism effort win dismissal case denied december september operation clean turf sting operation new_york attorney general uncovered operations alleged manipulation according complicated relationship small businesses history allegations manipulated website reviews based participation advertising programs business owners offered remove suppress negative reviews purchase advertising report seeing negative reviews featured prominently positive reviews buried soon receive calls attempting sell paid advertising says sales staff ability modify reviews changes reviews caused automated filter lawsuits filed accusing businesses buying advertising products dismissed judge reaching trial early class action lawsuit filed alleging asked hospital pay month advertising services included suppression customer reviews following month additional businesses joined class action lawsuit similar lawsuits filed lawsuits combined class action lawsuit dismissed san_francisco district judge said reviews protected evidence manipulation filed appeal september upheld dismissal finding manipulate reviews favor fall court legal definition august launched series town hall style meetings major american cities effort address concerns local business owners attendees expressed automated filter removing positive reviews decline advertise receiving reviews users entered establishment issues harvard study found significant statistical having favorable reviews received complaints small businesses allegedly unfair fake reviews negative reviews appear declining advertise according finished second examination practices cases pursue action company journalist los_angeles_times criticized practice selling competitors ads run business listings offering ads removed paid feature san_francisco filmmaker reportedly producing documentary film titled bully alleged business practices community according inc magazine reviewers called write reviews order express improve writing creative cases write reviews order corporate interests businesses dislike reviewers motivated honors review new location praise attention users reviews written entertaining creative manner users post reviews matter protest support business political views attempts filter users review useful funny cool day review day determined based vote users according reviewers internet adults aged suburban baby reviewers encouraged use real names photos year members community invited self nominated elite squad accepted based evaluation reviews users use real photo qualify governed council estimated thousand members disclose elite selected members given different color based long elite member originated parties began throwing members formally codified came reference prolific reviewers invited parties elite squad members invited special opening parties given gifts receive businesses host parties elite way getting reviews local north_america europe receives month asking names anonymous reviewers business owners seeking litigation writing negative reviews held contempt refusing disclose identities seven reviewers anonymously criticized carpet cleaning business appealed internet companies said ruling negatively affect free speech online judge early ruling said reviewers actually use businesses services communications false claims protected free speech laws california state law enacted prohibits businesses clauses contracts terms use allow sue fine customers write negatively online employed staff community managers organize parties prolific reviewers send encouraging messages reviewers host classes small business owners reviewers required disclose identity encourages leaving negative review user businesses positive reviews advertise people love
Yelp