MELANIE PAYNE

TELLMEL@NEWS-PRESS.COM

Consumers won big on Wednesday when President Barack Obama signed the Consumer Review Fairness Act of 2016 into law.

Often referred to as the "Yelp Law," the act protects consumers who post negative online reviews from being sued by the businesses they are criticizing. And it voids the "non-disparagement" clauses often hidden in the language of a hotel check-in or even the contract to purchase a product.

Businesses can still sue for defamation if a customer makes a false statement that hurts the business. But some businesses were using lawsuits to cover-up the truth about the bad products they offered or lousy services they provided.

The new law will protect free speech and allow people to truthfully post reviews without worrying about financial loss.