| Entities | |
| Topics and Issues | Algorithms (12) |
In June 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a settlement
…resolving allegations that Meta Platforms Inc…engaged in discriminatory advertising in violation of the Fair Housing Act (FHA). The proposed agreement resolves a lawsuit filed [by the DOJ] alleging that Meta’s housing advertising system discriminates against Facebook users based on their race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status and national origin. The settlement will not take effect until approved by the court.
Among other things, the complaint alleges that Meta uses algorithms in determining which Facebook users receive housing ads, and that those algorithms rely, in part, on characteristics protected under the FHA. This is the department’s first case challenging algorithmic bias under the Fair Housing Act.
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‘It is not just housing providers who have a duty to abide by fair housing laws,’ said Demetria McCain, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). ‘Parties who discriminate in the housing market, including those engaging in algorithmic bias, must be held accountable. This type of behavior hurts us all. HUD appreciates its continued partnership with the Department of Justice as they seek to uphold our country’s civil rights laws.’