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Facebook To Overhaul Ad Targeting To Prevent Discrimination (apnews.com)
Facebook will overhaul its ad-targeting systems to prevent discrimination in housing, credit and employment ads as part of a legal settlement. From a report: For the social network, that's one major legal problem down, several to go, including government investigations in the U.S. and Europe over its data and privacy practices. The changes to Facebook's advertising methods -- which generate most of the company's enormous profits -- are unprecedented. The social network says it will no longer allow housing, employment or credit ads that target people by age, gender or zip code. Facebook will also limit other targeting options so these ads don't exclude people on the basis of race, ethnicity and other legally protected categories in the U.S., including national origin and sexual orientation.
The social media company is also paying about $5 million to cover plaintiffs' legal fees and other costs. Facebook and the plaintiffs -- a group including the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Fair Housing Alliance and others -- called the settlement "historic." It took 18 months to hammer out. The company still faces an administrative complaint filed by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in August over the housing ads issue. A critic writes, "Funny how Facebook spent years quietly defending these ad targeting systems, got sued, settled, and now Sandberg calls them 'discriminatory' and cheers the 'historic' settlement."
The social media company is also paying about $5 million to cover plaintiffs' legal fees and other costs. Facebook and the plaintiffs -- a group including the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Fair Housing Alliance and others -- called the settlement "historic." It took 18 months to hammer out. The company still faces an administrative complaint filed by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in August over the housing ads issue. A critic writes, "Funny how Facebook spent years quietly defending these ad targeting systems, got sued, settled, and now Sandberg calls them 'discriminatory' and cheers the 'historic' settlement."
. . . settling became the cheapest path going forward, so that's what they did. As usual though, forced contrition never means they are sorry about what they did, nor does it mean they'll change their behavior. They'll still gladly sell their own mothers' info to the highest bidder -- that is literally what they exist to do.
In many states, yes.
I still have more fans than freaks. WTF is wrong with you people?
*nt*
A real solution would include affinity groups, education, groups that one belongs to or does not belong to.
I was born in the South. I know how this works.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
If a person doesn't want to see employment opportunities outside of a certain radius where they already happen to live, do they have the freedom to restrict that, for example?
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
How about they target their ads so they actually matter to the people they are targeting? I'd even look at the ads if they did that. A few times I have purchased things that very much seemed targeted to my specific interests. Most of the time the ads seem to come from some alternate universe pointed at someone who is not me.
More ads will have to be sent out by an ad company as its now less able to focus ads.
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
At least in the US it's illegal to target housing by race/ethnicity, gender or a bunch of other protected classes.
So, why not just serve the ads and relay the same directly to the law enforcement agency responsible for enforcing it? You'd have a nice package -- offender, evidence, victim (it's facebook, so you even know the name of the victim who witnessed the ad) neatly shrink wrapped to issue your fine.
Party bought 10,000 impressions -- served to 10,000 people... fine them a hundred bucks a victim and move on with life.
Non-discriminatory lending & housing ads?
Isn't that reminiscent of how the 2007/8 global financial crisis was caused?
I am not a fan of Facebook, however, what is wrong with zipcode targeting? If I have a product to which some zipcodes are more receptive to, why would I want to pay for advertising in zipcodes where people cannot afford it, are not interested, or simply cannot even legally buy the product. Say for example I am selling financing for Tesla vehicles, why would you force people in states where you cannot legally buy a Tesla to view my ads (e.g. in Michigan)? Also, if my yield for Tesla vehicle financing is greatest for 30-55 year olds, why would I want o pay for teenagers or 20'somethings to view my ads? Best example, what if I have a mortgage company which only gives mortgages for NYC properties, why do I have to now pay for advertising in other zipcodes hoping to catch the tiny percentage of people who are moving to NYC?
So that is why I am getting all those ads for straightening hair.
L'Idiot
Targeting entails selecting focus based on a set of criteria. That is discrimination. So, how can you target without discriminating?