On Nov. 2, 2018, we discussed a lawsuit against Facebook alleging discriminatory big data practices. In March 2019, just six months after the ACLU filed charges with the EEOC, Facebook settled the Title VII claims against it for approximately $5 million.
As part of the settlement, in addition to this significant cash payout, Facebook agreed to overhaul its entire targeted advertising system to withhold detailed demographic information. Specifically, Facebook will withhold information related to gender, age and zip codes from certain advertisers, including those advertising employment opportunities. Facebook’s overhaul is intended to hinder advertisers’ ability to micro-target specific demographics, which, in turn, should help minimize discriminatory advertising practices the company is accused of perpetrating.
