The Consumer Review Fairness Act of 2016 makes certain clauses of a form contract void if it prohibits, or restricts, an individual from engaging in a review of a seller’s goods, services, or conduct. Yelp says its reviews come from registered users, but you don’t have to be Edward Snowden to figure out how to post anonymously on Yelp. The strongest testimony to the importance of online reviews to businesses can be seen in the rise of the reputation management industry, where professionals make sure negative reviews get buried deep in search results.

Key Takeaways:

• The Consumer Review Fairness Act of 2016, signed into law by President Barack Obama in December, won’t give operators any relief in the way their restaurants are rated online.
• But a case currently before the California Supreme Court could wind up giving restaurant owners legal clout to fend off unwarranted online assaults. The biggest names in tech are hoping that doesn’t happen.
• Restaurants weren’t really the target of the new federal law, which was aimed at gag orders some merchants, professional service providers and contractors use to suppress consumer complaints online.

“”The Consumer Review Fairness Act gives Americans nationwide new guaranteed legal protections when it comes to sharing these honest, first-hand experiences,” Yelp’s Laurent Crenshaw told Engadget.”

http://www.restaurant-hospitality.com/marketing/online-review-battles-heat