"Right To Yelp" Bill Is Gaining Fans In Maryland Legislature

Maryland is poised to become the second state in the U.S. to affirm the “Right To Yelp.”

Bad reviews on Yelp or Amazon can be especially damaging to businesses because those reviews never leave those sites. They’re there for anyone to see at any time. Certain businesses started fighting back to block reviews, saying many are untruthful or defamatory. But Democratic Del. Jeff Waldstreicher of Montgomery County says some of those efforts have gone too far.

“In Maryland, we had a bed and breakfast that put it their contract for people getting married at that venue that if any of their wedding guests reviewed the place negatively … the couple getting married could get sued,” he said. “Which is crazy.”

His bill, unofficially dubbed the “Right To Yelp”, would shield reviewers from being sued as long as they’re truthful. But a change from previous versions is helping it get bipartisan support, according to Waldstreicher.

Read more here: https://wamu.org/story/16/02/18/right_to_yelp_bill_is_gaining_fans_in_maryland_legislature/.