Yelp gets zero stars in an upcoming documentary by local filmmaker Kaylie Milliken. Her film, Billion Dollar Bully (which is halfway done, according to the International Business Times) focuses on complaints from restaurant owners about Yelp’s business practices. The doc contains interviews with business owners and lawyers who believe their ratings and those of their clients were affected by how much they were advertising — an allegation that, as SFist points out, Yelp vehemently denies. The company cites a study by two professors that it says backs their claim, academics who found “filtering algorithm does not treat advertisers’ reviews in a manner different to non-advertisers’ reviews.” Thus far, Milliken has yet to talk to a representative from Yelp itself. “They won’t let me go in with a camera,” she told the International Business Times.
Milliken told The Bold Italic, “I was inspired to do this project after speaking with my doctor, who told me of flat out extortionist behavior by Yelp salespeople.”
On Monday Milliken plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign to raise the remaining $60,000 needed to finish the film. The release date is likely to be later this year but nothing concrete has been said yet.
[Via International Business Times, h/t SFist]
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