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.
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Our Services are not directed to children under 13. If you learn that anyone younger than 13 has unlawfully provided us with personal data, please contact us at privacy@medium.com.
To access and use the Services, you must be at least the age of majority in the state, province, or territory where you live or at least 18 years of age. If you are under the age of 13, you may not use the Services and you should not be visiting the Sites or using the Services.
Our services are restricted to users who are 18 years of age or older. We do not permit users under the age of 18 on our platform and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you suspect that a user is under the age of 18, please use the reporting mechanism available...
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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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