Every Major Platform Has a Policy Process
Before pursuing anything more formal, most defamatory content is reported directly to the platform hosting it — Google, Facebook, Instagram, X, Yelp, and nearly every other major platform maintains a policy violation reporting process, separate from any legal process. Content that violates a platform's own terms of service (harassment, impersonation, fabricated reviews) can sometimes come down through this route alone, often faster than any legal alternative.
What to Expect
Google (Reviews & Search)
Google Business Profile has a specific review flagging process for reviews that violate its policies against fake engagement, off-topic content, or conflicts of interest — distinct from disputing a review simply because it's negative.
Facebook & Instagram
Meta's reporting tools cover harassment, impersonation, and false information; reports on posts and profiles are reviewed against Meta's community standards, not a defamation-specific standard.
Yelp
Yelp's content guidelines prohibit reviews not based on a genuine transaction and allow flagging of suspected fake reviews, though Yelp is often cautious about removing reviews absent clear policy violations.
X (Twitter) & TikTok
Both maintain reporting flows for harassment and impersonation; enforcement speed and outcomes vary considerably by platform and case.
What Platforms Will and Won't Do
Platforms generally won't remove content simply because it's negative or because the subject disputes its truthfulness — they act on policy violations (impersonation, harassment, fake engagement, off-topic content), not on defamation determinations, which they're not equipped or willing to make themselves. A well-documented report citing a specific policy violation performs far better than a general complaint that "this isn't true."