Facebook and US sign deal to end discriminatory housing ads

NEW YORK (AP) — The Justice Department says Facebook will change its algorithms to prevent discriminatory housing advertising as its parent company subjects itself to court oversight in a response to a U.S. lawsuit. The Justice Department announced Tuesday (June 21, 2022) in a release that Meta Platforms Inc., formerly known as Facebook Inc., reached an agreement to settle the lawsuit filed the same day. The release said it was the Justice Department’s first case challenging algorithmic discrimination under the Fair Housing Act. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams called the lawsuit groundbreaking. A Facebook spokesperson said the company was excited to pioneer the effort to improve housing ads.