When you post reviews, photos, or other content on Yelp, you give Yelp a free, permanent, worldwide license to use, copy, display, and distribute that content in any way they choose.
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
The broad license structure enables Yelp to deploy user content across multiple platforms and purposes without ongoing compensation or exclusive content restrictions. The sublicensable and transferable nature permits Yelp to authorize third parties to use the content, establishing a multi-party content distribution framework.
Renamed to 'Perpetual Irrevocable Content License' in current version with newly added specific examples of content types covered (ratings, reviews, photos, videos, compliments, check-ins, friending and following activity, direct messages).
View full change record →Any content you post on Yelp — including personal photos and detailed reviews — can be used by Yelp for commercial purposes indefinitely, even if you later delete your account.
How other platforms handle this
Where the law allows us to, we may use the content you and other users have posted for training or to help us to improve the way we filter content on our platform.
We may infer certain information from your interactions with the Lyft Platform and other personal information available to us. For example, if you frequently ride to or from airports, we may infer you are a frequent traveler.
In accordance with applicable legal requirements, we may use your information to tailor and provide you with content and advertisements.
"you hereby irrevocably grant us world-wide, perpetual, non-exclusive, royalty-free, assignable, sublicensable, transferable rights to use Your Content for any purpose. Please note that you also irrevocably grant the Users of the Service and any Other Media the right to access and use Your Content in connection with their use of the Service and any Other Media.Excerpt from Yelp's Terms of Service
The breadth of the content license (royalty-free, irrevocable, sublicensable, worldwide) raises IP and privacy compliance considerations, particularly under GDPR Article 6 lawful basis requirements for EEA users, where consent to such broad commercial use may …
Enforcement risk, jurisdiction flags, contract triggers, and due diligence action items.
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The broad license structure enables Yelp to deploy user content across multiple platforms and purposes without ongoing compensation or exclusive content restrictions. The sublicensable and transferable nature permits Yelp to authorize third parties to use the content, establishing a multi-party content distribution framework.
Any content you post on Yelp — including personal photos and detailed reviews — can be used by Yelp for commercial purposes indefinitely, even if you later delete your account.
ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 279 platforms. See the full comparison.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Yelp.