AI Training Use of User Content

What it is

Yelp may use the reviews, photos, and other content you post, as well as your interactions with Yelp's AI features, to train its artificial intelligence systems.

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

This clause means your publicly posted reviews and photos, as well as private AI chat inputs and outputs, can be used to improve Yelp's commercial AI products without additional compensation or separate consent beyond using the service.

Clause Stability Stable

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Users who write reviews, upload photos, or interact with Yelp's AI features should be aware that this content may be retained and used to train AI models; this applies to both public content and private interactions with AI tools on the platform.

What you can do

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision implicates GDPR Article 5 (purpose limitation) and Article 13/14 (transparency obligations) for European Residents, as processing for AI training may require a documented lawful basis separate from service delivery; the UK ICO has issued guidance suggesting AI training based on legitimate interests requires careful balancing. Under CCPA/CPRA, use of personal information to train AI systems may constitute a secondary use requiring disclosure and potentially opt-out rights depending on how the data is classified. The FTC has increasingly scrutinized retroactive changes to data use policies that expand AI training rights. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: High. The clause covers both user-generated content (reviews, photos) and AI interaction data (inputs and outputs), which may include sensitive information shared in conversational contexts. The breadth of 'develop and improve our AI capabilities' is not further defined, leaving open the scope of model types and commercial applications that could be trained on this data. JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU/EEA and UK users face heightened exposure given GDPR requirements for a clear lawful basis for each processing purpose; legitimate interests assessments for AI training are contested. California users may have CPRA rights to limit use of sensitive personal information if such information appears in AI interactions. Illinois users should note that if AI features process voice or biometric data, BIPA may be implicated. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Organizations whose employees use Yelp for business reviews or AI features should assess whether confidential or proprietary information entered into AI prompts could be incorporated into Yelp's training datasets. No contractual carve-out for business users is apparent in this provision. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should assess whether the current disclosure and consent mechanism is sufficient for AI training use under applicable law, particularly for EU users where a specific lawful basis must be identified. Data mapping should distinguish between user-generated public content and private AI interaction logs, with separate retention and use policies for each category. A consent or opt-out mechanism specifically for AI training use should be evaluated.

Applicable agencies

Applicable regulations

Provision details

Other risks in this policy

• Precise Geolocation Data Collection medium
• Third-Party Advertising Data Sharing medium
• Data Retention Post-Account Closure medium
• Sensitive Data Collection Including Health Information medium
• Children's Privacy and Age Restriction medium
• California Residents Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA) low

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