Can I post a negative review about a Jewish-owned business or product?

Speaking or writing something negative that can harm another Yid’s reputation or parnassa is classic lashon hara, even when every word is true.¹ Thus, a negative review that scares people away from a Jewish business is forbidden unless it is written purely to protect others from real harm and fulfills all of the criteria below.

There are situations where you are not only allowed, but obligated, to warn others — for example, a dishonest mechanic or a seller hiding defects (see issue 833) — to prevent another Jew from being harmed.²

The conditions for lashon hara l’to’eles include:³ (a) The information is ¹⁰⁰% true and based on firsthand knowledge; (b) there is real financial, physical, emotional, or spiritual harm, not just annoyance or hurt feelings; (c) you tried to approach the seller first and give them a chance to fix the problem before publicizing, and there’s no other effective way to prevent future damage; (d) your motiv e is purely to protect others, not to vent or “teach them a lesson;” (e) no unnecessary details, exaggerations, or sarcasm; and (f) the damage to the seller caused by the review is not greater than the benefit to future customers.

Even if a store is somewhat more expensive, but within the halachically acceptable range of profit, warning others constitutes “saving” the buyer’s money at the storeowner’s expense and is forbidden . Calling a place “overpriced,” “not tasty,” or “I didn’t enjoy the style” is both subjective and halachically out of bounds as a public negative review.

Where there is real danger — e.g., spoiled food, a dangerous product, a book with serious hashkafic or halachic errors — one must warn, but within the framework of the above conditions.

Where you post also matters. Halachically, to’eles requires that the information reach people who genuinely need it; posting a rant on social media usually fails this test.

Some poskim distinguish Amazon-style platforms, where the entire business model is built on honest customer feedback, and the seller explicitly agrees to a rating system when signing up. The seller accepts that people will say honest, non-exaggerated negatives in that forum, so there is more room to post a carefully worded, accurate review that meets the to’eles rules. By contrast, a Google review of a local business that never “signed up” for public ratings likely lacks this leniency, and full lashon hara restrictions apply.

Surprisingly, even positive reviews can be problematic. Shlomo Hamelech warns that over-public praise can backfire badly. In reviews, overpraising discounts, a product’s longevity, or extreme generosity can create unrealistic expectations, pressure the seller, and trigger angry backlash from others.⁴

See Sources (open PDF)