"Yelp's privacy practices present substantial risk through aggressive collection of sensitive location data (precise GPS, beacon-based), automatic sharing of personal information (phone numbers, age, gender, device data) with businesses, and sophisticated cross-device behavioral tracking for targeted advertising. Account deletion does not guarantee data removal, retention periods are indefinite, and AI training on user content occurs without opt-out mechanisms. The score of 68 reflects practices comparable to Google/Microsoft—extensive collection with significant third-party sharing and advertising tracking, though with somewhat more restrictive data sale policies."
yelp Privacy Concerns & Scorecard
Yelp employs sophisticated cross-device and cross-platform tracking using mobile advertising identifiers, cookies, web beacons, and SDKs. Location data is used to recognize visits to businesses for ad targeting purposes. Cross-device tracking combines information across platforms without granular user control.
Yelp collects extensive personal data including precise geolocation (GPS and beacon-based), mobile advertising identifiers (IDFA, GAID), device fingerprinting data, contacts from device address books, and sensitive transaction information. Background location collection occurs even when the app is not actively in use.
Yelp automatically shares detailed personal information with businesses including location data, age, gender, device type, usage data, and phone call details. Phone numbers are automatically shared with businesses when users call through Yelp. Hashed identifiers of email, phone number, and IP address are shared with third-party advertising providers.
Yelp monitors and records phone calls and chats for quality assurance purposes. Private messages may be accessed, reviewed, and disclosed during investigations without clear limitations on investigative scope or data use.
Data retention periods are vague and indefinite. Information is retained 'for as long as reasonably necessary' with no specific timeframes provided. Public posts remain visible and searchable even after account closure, and Yelp explicitly states information 'may be retained consistent with data retention policy' without defining that policy.
Yelp transfers and processes personal information outside the EEA/UK/Switzerland with no absolute guarantee of security for transmitted or stored information. Data localization practices and security commitments are not clearly specified.
No recommended actions at this time.
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Data Collection & Tracking
Personal Information Collected
Account creation, identity verification, communication, business transactions
Location-based services, business discovery, visit attribution for advertising, targeted ad delivery
Service delivery, cross-device tracking, advertising, fraud prevention, analytics
Service improvement, targeted advertising, analytics, personalization
Invite friends feature, contact synchronization, communication
Message delivery, quality assurance, fraud prevention, legal investigations
Payment processing, reservation management, transaction verification, fraud prevention
Platform content, community building, business feedback, AI model training
Service personalization, business matching, targeted advertising
Cross-Platform Tracking
Yelp combines information across your consumer account, business accounts, and linked third-party platforms to create a unified profile. Mobile advertising identifiers (IDFA/GAID), cookies, and web beacons enable cross-device tracking to recognize you across different devices and websites. Yelp also acquires information about you from third-party sources to enhance this cross-platform profile without explicit consent.
Tracking Methods:
Web Beacons & Pixels
Invisible tracking pixels embedded in emails, web pages, and advertisements to measure engagement and attribute conversions
Cookies
First-party and third-party cookies set on browser to track user activity, preferences, and advertising effectiveness across sessions and websites
Mobile Advertising Identifiers (IDFA/GAID)
Persistent device identifiers used to track user activity across mobile apps and serve targeted advertisements
Software Development Kits (SDKs)
Third-party code libraries embedded in Yelp app to enable advertising tracking, analytics, and cross-platform data collection
Device Fingerprinting
Collection of unique device characteristics (browser type, OS, plugins, screen resolution) combined with hashed email/phone/IP to create persistent user profile across devices
Call Recording
Automatic recording of phone calls made through Yelp platform for quality assurance and monitoring purposes
Geofencing & Beacon Technology
Location-based tracking using GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth beacons to identify when users visit businesses for advertising attribution
AI & Data Training
yelp uses your content to train AI
Below is what's used and how (if at all) you can object.
What Content Is Used
Reviews
Written reviews of businesses and services
Photos
User-uploaded photos and images
Associated Metadata
Date, time, location, and other metadata associated with user contributions
How to Object
No opt-out available
This service does not currently provide a public way to opt out of AI training.
Why We Analyzed yelp
TrueTerms automatically audits privacy policies and data practices using advanced machine learning to keep you informed and protected. This scorecard is based on the latest available public terms of service and privacy policies as of 2026.