It’s one thing for a company to pursue legal action against an online reviewer who posted negative things about the company when it is actually true. Currently the Sparks Steakhouse in Manhattan, a former job applicant, Yelp, and a mysterious fourth party are involved in legal action to discover the identity of “Besfort S.,” a Yelper posing as a former Sparks employee who posted about how spitting in food is routine.

Who provided this insider info? The name led the restaurant to a previous job applicant who wasn’t hired. It would make sense for someone with a grudge against the steakhouse to post nasty fake information, but an intelligent Internet trickster with a grudge wouldn’t use his real name. The real Besfort swears that he had nothing to do with the posting, even filing a police complaint for harassment against the real poster. Whoever that is.

The steakhouse would also really, really like to know more about this person, and has filed to compel Yelp to release whatever information the company has on “Besfort S.,” whoever that person might be.

Sparks Steakhouse sues Yelp to identify Internet troll [New York Post]

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