Recently Meta settled a lawsuit because they discriminated against race, religion and other characteristics. It was against a housing advertising system that was illegally discriminating against users based on their race and religion. This report was given by the USA's Department of Justice this week.
The lawsuit was filed in Manhattan that said that Meta was asking advertisers to attract users to the Housing Advertising System based on their race and other characteristics. This was a clear violation of the Federal Housing Act which states that there should be no discrimination done in housing advertisements over such things.
Meta straight up denied this kind of act and said that they didn't do any of this. Despite denying all of this, they still proceeded to pay $115,054 which is the highest one under this law. These types of allegations have always been a part of Meta since 2016 but they have denied them from the start and have settled things in Washington. But it looks like Meta is not going to escape these types of lawsuits ever.
Their part of the penalty was also agreeing to stop using the algorithm for the Housing Advertising System because it is generating problems within different communities. The algorithm tool was named Special Ad Audience. Now Meta has promised to generate a new tool by the end of this year. The new housing ad tool will help with housing advertisements but also clear any time of discrimination. It will be the first time in Meta's history that it will change its advertising tool to address algorithm discrimination. Meta is going to use this system in jobs and credits too. So it is going to advantage them more.
The attorney for Manhattan that was handling this case narrated Meta's statement that stated that discrimination is not new in the history of the USA. We have to fight with it to bring peace to companies. We will do our very best to minimize this behavior in different spaces so the people do not feel any less.
This case was filed in 2019 by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development. Now Meta was in the full spotlight and decided to face this case. The Department of Justice said that Meta is going to change its 2019 settlements with the rights group but they haven't talked about changing their advertising tool.
Read next: Meta Launches Innovative Community Feedback Policy For Consumer Protection
The lawsuit was filed in Manhattan that said that Meta was asking advertisers to attract users to the Housing Advertising System based on their race and other characteristics. This was a clear violation of the Federal Housing Act which states that there should be no discrimination done in housing advertisements over such things.
Meta straight up denied this kind of act and said that they didn't do any of this. Despite denying all of this, they still proceeded to pay $115,054 which is the highest one under this law. These types of allegations have always been a part of Meta since 2016 but they have denied them from the start and have settled things in Washington. But it looks like Meta is not going to escape these types of lawsuits ever.
Their part of the penalty was also agreeing to stop using the algorithm for the Housing Advertising System because it is generating problems within different communities. The algorithm tool was named Special Ad Audience. Now Meta has promised to generate a new tool by the end of this year. The new housing ad tool will help with housing advertisements but also clear any time of discrimination. It will be the first time in Meta's history that it will change its advertising tool to address algorithm discrimination. Meta is going to use this system in jobs and credits too. So it is going to advantage them more.
The attorney for Manhattan that was handling this case narrated Meta's statement that stated that discrimination is not new in the history of the USA. We have to fight with it to bring peace to companies. We will do our very best to minimize this behavior in different spaces so the people do not feel any less.
This case was filed in 2019 by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development. Now Meta was in the full spotlight and decided to face this case. The Department of Justice said that Meta is going to change its 2019 settlements with the rights group but they haven't talked about changing their advertising tool.
Read next: Meta Launches Innovative Community Feedback Policy For Consumer Protection