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.
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
By making any User Content available to Calm, you hereby grant to Calm a non-exclusive, transferable, sublicensable, worldwide, royalty-free, license to use, store, publish, translate, reproduce, adapt, copy, modify, create derivative works based upon, publicly display, publicly perform, and distrib...
By submitting or posting User Content on or through the Services, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, reproduce, process, adapt, modify, publish, transmit, display and distribute such User Content in any and all media or distribu...
By submitting User Material you hereby grant Headspace an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, royalty free, worldwide license to use, telecast, copy, perform, display, edit, distribute and otherwise exploit the User Material you post on the Products, or any portion thereof, and any ideas, concept...
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"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 Yelp 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 need to be separately documented.
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We read the privacy policies and terms of service of 38 AI platforms. Here is what they say about training, retention, arbitration, and liability.
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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 10 platforms. See the full comparison.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Yelp.