Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined 23 state attorneys general in sending a letter to Yelp "opposing the company’s practice of discriminating against crisis pregnancy centers in online consumer notices."
Last year, Yelp announced that the company would begin issuing consumer notices to the Yelp profiles of crisis pregnancy centers. The notices claim to inform consumers that crisis pregnancy centers “typically provide limited medical services and may not have licensed medical professionals onsite.”
“It is unconscionable for Yelp to steer vulnerable women away from nonprofits that will support them through pregnancy and motherhood,” General Skrmetti said.
He said the coalition also contends that recategorizing the services of crisis pregnancy centers "is misguided because these services are in high demand." The letter demands Yelp stop misrepresenting the services of these crisis pregnancy centers.
In 2019, crisis pregnancy centers provided ultrasounds, pregnancy tests, STD testing, parenting and prenatal education classes, recovery counseling, and other services valued at over $266 million to nearly two million Americans, it was stated.
Attorney General Skrmetti joined the letter led by Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron along with attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Read the letter in its entirety here.