Yelp · Yelp Privacy Policy · View original document ↗

Account Closure and Data Retention

Medium severity Rare · 1 of 325 platforms
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Document Record

What it is

When you close your Yelp account, Yelp retains certain data for a period of time and some public content (such as reviews) may remain visible even after closure.

This analysis describes what Yelp's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

The clause distinguishes between public post visibility (which is modified upon closure) and data retention (which continues for purposes stated in the Privacy Policy), establishing that account closure does not trigger automatic deletion of all associated information. This operational framework clarifies the scope and duration of post-closure data management.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Deleting your Yelp account does not guarantee immediate removal of all your personal data or publicly posted content, as Yelp retains data for operational, legal, and fraud prevention purposes. You can submit a formal data deletion request at https://www.yelp.com/ccpa_request to request erasure beyond standard account closure.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
  • Close Your Account
    To close your account and request data deletion, log into Yelp, go to Account Settings, and follow the account closure process; additionally submit a formal deletion request at https://www.yelp.com/ccpa_request to ensure all personal data is erased.

How other platforms handle this

Roblox Medium

You may request deletion of your account at any time. When you request account deletion, we will delete or anonymize your personal information unless we are required to retain it by law, or unless we need to retain it for legitimate business purposes such as resolving disputes, enforcing our agreeme...

LinkedIn Medium

We generally retain your personal data as long as you keep your account open or as needed to provide you Services. This includes data you or others provided to us and data generated or inferred from your use of our Services. In some cases we choose to retain certain information (e.g., insights about...

Sony PlayStation Medium

We will retain your personal information for as long as your Account is open, or as needed to provide you services. Some information may be retained after your Account is closed. We may also retain information as required by law or regulation, for fraud prevention, to resolve disputes, to enforce ou...

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
When you close your account, we remove certain public posts from view and/or dissociate them from your account profile, but may retain information about you for the purposes authorized under this Privacy Policy and consistent with our data retention policy, unless prohibited by law. You can request that we delete personal information associated with your account. Yelp retains information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or as otherwise permitted or required by law.

— Excerpt from Yelp's Yelp Privacy Policy

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

Data retention practices post-account closure must align with GDPR's storage limitation principle (Article 5(1)(e)), CCPA/CPRA deletion rights, and applicable record-keeping obligations; retention schedules and the basis for continued retention of specific data categories should be documented and defensible.

Full compliance analysis

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC enforces against deceptive practices related to promises of data deletion and the retention of consumer data beyond what is disclosed.
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

CCPA/CPRA
California, USA
GDPR
European Union
Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act
US-IN

Provision details

Document information
Document
Yelp Privacy Policy
Entity
Yelp
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
March 20, 2026
Last verified
March 20, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-001278
Document ID
CA-D-00240
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
9d37b5ed16f57725b4e1e8511dcaac9b91822bca96682083a4b851128c4231b3
Analysis generated
March 20, 2026 10:08 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Yelp
Document: Yelp Privacy Policy
Record ID: CA-P-001278
Captured: 2026-03-20 10:08:33 UTC
SHA-256: 9d37b5ed16f57725…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/yelp/yelp-privacy-policy/account-closure-and-data-retention/
Accessed: May 20, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Yelp's Account Closure and Data Retention clause do?

The clause distinguishes between public post visibility (which is modified upon closure) and data retention (which continues for purposes stated in the Privacy Policy), establishing that account closure does not trigger automatic deletion of all associated information. This operational framework clarifies the scope and duration of post-closure data management.

How does this clause affect you?

Deleting your Yelp account does not guarantee immediate removal of all your personal data or publicly posted content, as Yelp retains data for operational, legal, and fraud prevention purposes. You can submit a formal data deletion request at https://www.yelp.com/ccpa_request to request erasure beyond standard account closure.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 1 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Yelp?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Yelp.