The charge that Yelp used extortion to get money out of small businesses has gotten a bad review from a federal judge.
A federal court in San Francisco tossed out a class action lawsuit against the review site that claimed Yelp pressured small businesses into buying advertising to avoid negative reviews, according to the San Francisco Business Times.
Judge Marilyn Hall Patel gave the plaintiffs the right to rewrite their complaint and refile a suit against Yelp.
Last year, Yelp came under fire when an East Bay Express article claimed to have exposed a bullying tactic that the San Francisco-based review company was allegedly using to force small businesses to get better reviews on the site.
Yelp went on a PR blitz denying the claims and the company even changed its practices and transparency to foster a better relationship with small businesses.
