Facebook Violated Fair Housing Act With Ad Practice, HUD Charges
- HUD accuses Facebook of discrimination in its ad practices
- Government says systems that narrow audience violate law
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U.S. regulators say digital advertising practices at Facebook Inc. violate housing law and they are reviewing whether ads placed by Twitter Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google also discriminate against those seeking a place to live.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development on Thursday accused Facebook of enabling and encouraging bias based on race and religion, as well as sex, by restricting who can see housing-related ads on its platforms and across the internet. HUD also has sent letters to Twitter and Google inquiring about the advertising systems for their sites and products as well, said Brian Sullivan, a department spokesman.