Bengaluru — The US department of housing and urban development charged Facebook on Thursday with violating the US Fair Housing Act, alleging that the company’s targeted advertising discriminated on the basis of race and color.
Facebook said it was surprised by the decision and has been working with the HUD to address its concerns and has taken significant steps to prevent discriminatory ads across its platforms. “Facebook is discriminating against people based on who they are and where they live,” HUD secretary Ben Carson said. “Using a computer to limit a person’s housing choices can be just as discriminatory as slamming a door in someone’s face.”
ProPublica later reported that it was able to buy discriminatory housing ads and slip them past Facebook’s review process, despite the company’s claims it was blocking such ads.