Yelp Updates: Businesses Can Now Share COVID-19 Vaccine Policies

Yelp Introduces Tools for Businesses to Share Vaccine Policies

As an increasing number of businesses across the United States adopt vaccine requirements for customers and employees, Yelp is responding by providing new functionalities. These tools are designed to facilitate clear communication of these policies to patrons.

Starting Thursday, Yelp will initiate the rollout of two new profile attributes: “Proof of vaccination required” and “Staff fully vaccinated.” These attributes will enable consumers to quickly ascertain a business’s operating procedures concerning the ongoing pandemic.

Local and City Mandates

Although a nationwide federal mandate for vaccine verification is currently absent, several cities are enacting their own regulations. New York City, for example, has pioneered a requirement for proof of vaccination for entry into indoor dining establishments and gyms.

San Francisco is presently evaluating similar mandates, and it is anticipated that other municipalities may follow this trend in the coming months.

Business-Led Initiatives and Potential Backlash

Beyond governmental directives, numerous local business owners are independently implementing safety measures. These include mandating masks or proof of vaccination for customers, as well as requiring staff vaccination.

However, such decisions can carry risks, potentially leading to negative reactions on social media and unfavorable reviews from individuals opposed to vaccination.

Yelp's Response to Mitigate Negative Reactions

Yelp explains that the new features are intended to help lessen the impact of such backlash. The company aims to provide a platform where businesses can transparently share their policies without undue fear of retribution.

Protecting Businesses from Attacks

Yelp states it will proactively employ both automated systems and human moderators to protect businesses from retaliatory attacks by customers. This protection will be available to businesses that choose to activate either of the new COVID vaccine policy options.

The company acknowledges that instances of “review bombing” have increased in recent months, necessitating a stronger response.

Addressing "Review Bombing"

Historically, Yelp has had systems in place to address situations where businesses receive a surge of negative reviews from individuals without genuine experience. This practice violates Yelp’s established policies.

Yelp may alert visitors to potential fake reviews or unusual activity spikes. Temporary review restrictions or the removal of policy-violating reviews may also be implemented.

Increased Unusual Activity Alerts

Since January 2021, Yelp has issued over 100 Unusual Activity Alerts in response to businesses receiving public attention for their COVID health and safety protocols. This includes businesses informing customers about vaccination requirements for staff or patrons.

Consequently, nearly 4,500 reviews have been removed for violating Yelp’s content guidelines.

Formalizing Policy Flagging

Given Yelp’s existing efforts to manage these incidents, the introduction of a formal method for businesses to flag their COVID policies through the new attributes represents a logical progression.

The company drew upon its experience with the Black-owned attribute, launched in June 2020, and subsequent identity attributes (Latinx-owned, Asian-owned, and LGBTQ-owned). It proactively monitored pages activating these attributes for harmful content.

Demand from Business Owners

Yelp reports that the new COVID policy feature was requested by business owners. They sought a way to clearly communicate their policies and receive enhanced protection against unfair reviews.

Yelp's Perspective

“Both business owners and consumers have expressed interest in Yelp releasing vaccine-related attributes,” stated Noorie Malik, Yelp’s VP of User Operations. “For months, we’ve observed businesses implementing vaccine requirements for both staff and customers.”

Malik continued, “As a result, we’ve also seen an increase in reviews focusing on individuals’ views on COVID vaccinations, rather than their actual experience with the business.”

Businesses are seeking assurance that their pages will be actively monitored for inaccurate reviews when they disclose this information.

Maintaining Review Integrity

Yelp recognizes the importance of preserving the integrity of its reviews platform. Allowing reviews to deviate from firsthand customer experiences would diminish the platform’s overall usefulness.

“Yelp has consistently been a reliable source of information on local businesses, assisting the millions of users who rely on it daily to make informed spending choices,” Malik explained. “Providing consumers with access to relevant, firsthand information is crucial, particularly during a public health crisis, making reviews based on genuine consumer experiences essential.”

The new feature is currently being deployed and is accessible through the Yelp for Business account page.