Last week ProPublica wrote about its experience submitting an ad for housing on Facebook; the social media platform allows advertisers to exclude specific groups of people called “ethnic affinities.” This week four members of Congress wrote Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg with their concerns about the advertising feature:
“This is in direct violation of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, and it is our strong desire to see Facebook address this issue immediately,” wrote the lawmakers, who are members of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Under the Fair Housing Act, it’s illegal to “to make, print, or publish, or cause to be made, printed, or published any notice, statement, or advertisement, with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.” Violators face tens of thousands of dollars in fines.
According to the CBC members’ letter:
“By allowing online advertisers to promote or market a community or home for the purpose of sale to select an “ethnic affinity” as part of their advertising campaign, Facebook is complicit in promoting restrictive housing practices.”
In response, Facebook stated:
“We’ve heard from groups and policy makers who are concerned about some of the ways our targeting tools could be used by advertisers. We are listening and working to better understand these concerns.”
This is not the first time Facebook has acted questionably, or the first time ProPublica has looked into their conduct. Back in September ProPublica published a piece looking at Facebook’s algorithms and the mountains of data they collect on its users. SMH.