Free for a Fee

Can users of review sites like Yelp bash a business but remain anonymous?

Unless a business can show a court from the outset that they have strong evidence the statements are false and defamatory, the user’s identity will usually be protected. Yelp says it gets about six subpoenas a month seeking user identities, often from businesses who want to sue anonymous reviewers.

One closely watched Virginia case about reviewer anonymity has now been resolved. The anonymous reviewers won, although not on the grounds free speech advocates had hoped for.