Egypt’s Grand Mufti has released a decree, saying that buying Facebook ‘likes’ is haram or forbidden according to Shariah Law.
The cleric told that the “fake” likes are deceptive in a sense that they don’t reflect the true worth of the content. The Grand Mufti Shawki Allam added that boosting content is permissible and one spends their money to increase the reach of their product.
The decree further read that that the bought likes are against the policies of social media platforms as well.
The Mufti added,
Boosting content is permissible in Sharia law as long as it’s in a manner to promote an account, a product, a page or a publication in order for the content to reach a certain number of user targeted in exchange of money.
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Haram
However, the likes that are purchased to increase interaction are prohibited as they are “deceptive” and give a false idea of content’s actual value. The post by the institution that released the fatwa reads;
If likes are fake, or electronically generated, and do not resemble real individuals, then that would be considered impermissible given that it’s a form of fraud.
The practice is used by Facebook groups to boost their presence and number of members. The Mufti stated that likes that the content gets through its promotion are legitimate and in line with the law. However, buying the likes themselves is haram and against the ethics and laws of Islam, the cleric said.
Allam has previously released technology related religious decrees as well. Just a few months ago, the cleric declared that buying and selling cryptocurrency is prohibited in Islam because it is equivalent to gambling. The same institution also banned playing the infamous “Blue Whale” game as it prompts participants to commit suicide.
