Yelp Faces Lawsuits for Extorting Advertisers

Three civil suits have been filed against Yelp in the last month, accusing the company of extorting businesses to advertise. For example, Boris Levitt, the owner of a San Francisco furniture-restoration company, alleges in a complaint in California Superior Court that Yelp retaliates against businesses that don't choose to advertise by negatively skewing their ratings and reviews on the site.