Grubhub Says It Didn’t Create Fake Websites Without Restaurants’ Permission | Eater
"A Long Beach deli whose own website appears fifth in search results, with the delivery service’s app page two spots above and a platform-created “shadow” website two spots below that links only back to the platform. The platform-created microsites use a generic template and the same platform-specific phone numbers found in the app, so calls routed through those numbers are recorded and generate commission fees that reduce the restaurant’s revenue. Because the shadow site and app listings can outrank or flank the restaurant’s official site, customers searching for the deli can be steered toward placing orders through the platform rather than directly with the business." - Jenny G. Zhang
