Yelp's platform is not designed for children under 13, and Yelp states it does not intentionally collect data from children under 13; parents can contact privacy@yelp.com to request deletion of a child's data.
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
COPPA requires specific protections for children under 13, and Yelp's compliance depends on the effectiveness of its age verification and detection practices; parents have a right to request deletion of any data inadvertently collected from their minor children.
Interpretive note: The policy does not describe the technical age verification measures in place, making it difficult to assess actual COPPA compliance posture beyond the stated policy intent.
Parents of children under 13 who may have used Yelp without parental consent should contact privacy@yelp.com to request deletion of any data collected; the policy does not describe specific technical age verification mechanisms that would prevent underage account creation.
How other platforms handle this
Our Services are not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without parental consent, we will take steps to delete such information. In some juris...
Our services are not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information.
The Waze App is not intended for use by children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13 (or the applicable age of digital consent in your jurisdiction, which may be higher, such as 16 in certain EU member states). If we become aware that we have collected...
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"The Service is intended for general audiences and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child under the age of 13 has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us at privacy@yelp.com and we will take steps to delete such information.— Excerpt from Yelp's Yelp Privacy Policy
REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and FTC regulations require verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information from children under 13. The FTC is the primary enforcement authority for COPPA violations. The policy's reliance on a 'do not knowingly collect' standard is a common industry formulation, but COPPA compliance depends on the actual technical and procedural measures in place to detect and prevent underage registration, which are not described in the policy. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The policy states the standard COPPA disclaimer but does not describe age gate mechanisms, detection processes, or remediation timelines, which are relevant to a complete COPPA compliance assessment. Yelp's broad data collection practices (geolocation, behavioral tracking) create elevated risk if any minors access the platform. JURISDICTION FLAGS: US federal COPPA applies nationally. Several states including California (COPPA-plus standards under the California Age-Appropriate Design Code) impose additional requirements for services likely to be accessed by minors. The UK Children's Code (Age Appropriate Design Code) applies to Yelp's UK operations if the service is likely accessed by children. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Third-party advertising partners receiving behavioral data from Yelp should be assessed for COPPA compliance in the event minors access the platform. Data processing agreements should include representations about the age of users whose data is shared. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should request documentation of Yelp's age verification and detection processes to assess COPPA compliance posture. Incident response protocols for discovery of underage user accounts should be reviewed, including deletion timelines and notification procedures. The California Age-Appropriate Design Code may require a data protection impact assessment if Yelp is likely to be accessed by minors.
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COPPA requires specific protections for children under 13, and Yelp's compliance depends on the effectiveness of its age verification and detection practices; parents have a right to request deletion of any data inadvertently collected from their minor children.
Parents of children under 13 who may have used Yelp without parental consent should contact privacy@yelp.com to request deletion of any data collected; the policy does not describe specific technical age verification mechanisms that would prevent underage account creation.
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