The Virginia Supreme Court avoided a free speech finding in ruling that Yelp could not be forced to reveal the identities of users who posted negative reviews of a carpet-cleaning service. The court ruled narrowly that the carpet company could not subpoena documents from Yelp headquarters in California thus skirting the First Amendment issues in the case. RCFOP filed a brief in support of Yelp. (Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, April 16, 2015, by Kimberly Chow)
The ruling left open the question of how the free speech rights on online commentators can be balanced against the rights of a company to defend its reputation. A Yelp lawyer doubted that the company would find any relief in California courts since it could not produce sufficient evidence to support its quest. (The Washington Post, April 16, 2015, by Justin Jouvenal)