Page 24 - ARUBA TODAY

A24 TECHNOLOGY
Friday 29 March 2019
Facebook charged with housing discrimination by HUD

By MAE ANDERSON and — from seeing their ads for "We're disappointed by to- women. Ives said the move may
BARBARA ORTUTAY houses and apartments. day's developments, but The agency also charged mean U.S. regulators are
AP Technology Writers "Facebook is discriminat- we'll continue working with that Facebook allowed taking broader aim at the
NEW YORK (AP) — The fed- ing against people based civil rights experts on these advertisers to exclude par- digital advertising market,
eral government charged upon who they are and issues," the company said. ents; those who are non- not just Facebook.
Facebook with high-tech where they live," HUD Sec- The charges were seen as American-born; non-Chris- "This is a clear shot across
housing discrimination retary Ben Carson said. "Us- more evidence that Face- tians; and those interested the bow for Facebook and
Thursday for allegedly mis- ing a computer to limit a book is in crosshairs of law- in Hispanic culture, "deaf others," he said.
using its vaunted ability to person's housing choices makers, regulators and ac- culture," accessibility for "There is potentially more
deliver ads with surgical can be just as discrimina- tivists. It is already wrestling the disabled, countries like regulatory worries than
precision to certain groups tory as slamming a door in with several government in- Honduras or Somalia, or a maybe investors were fear-
of people and not others. someone's face." vestigations in the U.S. and variety of other topics. ing."
The civil charges by the In a statement, Facebook Europe over its data and Advertisers were also able Facebook is already under
U.S. Department of Hous- expressed surprise over privacy practices. to exclude people based fire for allowing fake Rus-
ing and Urban Develop- the charges, saying it has The technology at the on ZIP code, to avoid show- sian accounts to buy ads
ment could cost the social been working with HUD to heart of the clash with HUD ing ads to people in areas targeting U.S. users to sow
network millions of dol- address its concerns and is what has helped turned with large minority popula- political discord during the
lars in penalties. But more has taken steps to prevent Facebook into a giant with tions, HUD said. 2016 presidential election.
than that, they strike at the discrimination, including annual revenue of close to The case will be heard The company has also
very business model that eliminating thousands of $56 billion. It can offer ad- by an administration law been criticized for allow-
has made Facebook so targeting options last year vertisers and groups great judge unless HUD or Face- ing organizations to target
rich, and raise questions of that could be misused by ability to direct messages book decides to move it to groups of people identified
whether this could signal advertisers. to exactly the crowd they federal court. as "Jew-haters" and Nazi
more regulatory pressure Just last week, Facebook want to reach. "The nature of their business sympathizers.
on the industry to come. said it would overhaul its HUD said Facebook is al- model is advertising and HUD brought an initial com-
HUD said Facebook's ad- ad-targeting system to lowing advertisers to ex- targeted advertising, so plaint against Facebook in
targeting system is fostering prevent discrimination not clude people based on that is a slippery slope. That August.
discrimination by allowing just in housing listings but their neighborhood by is their business model," Facebook said in its state-
landlords and real estate in credit and employment drawing a red line around said Dan Ives, an industry ment that it was "eager to
brokers to exclude certain ads as well, as part of a set- those areas on a map. The analyst with Wedbush Se- find a solution" but that HUD
people — for example, tlement with the American company was also ac- curities. "The government "insisted on access to sensi-
minorities, non-Christians, Civil Liberties Union, the Na- cused of giving advertis- launched this missile and tive information — like user
immigrants or residents of tional Fair Housing Alliance ers the option of showing caught many in the indus- data — without adequate
particular neighborhoods and other groups. ads only to men or only to try by surprise." safeguards."q