Shmuel Eliyahu, the chief rabbi of the Israeli city of Safed, ruled that advertising on Facebook against the social network’s policy constitutes theft.
The recent ruling was given in written form to a man who asked the rabbi whether it was forbidden according to Jewish law to advertise products or services on Facebook without paying the network for ad space – an activity that violates Facebook’s user terms, the Hebrew news site nrg.co.il reported Thursday.
“It is forbidden to advertise on Facebook against their terms,” wrote Eliyahu, who is one of Israel’s most influential rabbis. “Facebook is a for-profit firm. Whether a substantial or small part of its earnings, advertising does constitute part of it. By bypassing their advertising, one reduces their earnings, which the firm has invested to maintain. Advertising against one’s commitment to Facebook and their terms is theft.”
In his query, the person who asked the rabbi about the issue noted that Facebook arguably makes money on any content, since “it means people spend more time online, increasing their exposure to ads that are bought from Facebook, meaning Facebook earns either way.”
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
