A new study shows that Facebook directs its advertising to audiences in ways that could promote racial and gender discrimination, news agency Reuters reported on Thursday, 4 April. This adds to allegations that the US government's legal notice to the social media giant last week was based on.
According to a study by the researchers from the Northeastern University, University of Southern California and Advocacy Group Upturn, Facebook’s algorithms lean on stereotypes when it comes to housing and jobs.
Last week, Facebook was sued by the US government for discriminatory targeting for housing ads.
The researchers were quoted by Reuters as saying that ad platforms can shape access to information about important opportunities in ways that might present a challenge to equal opportunity goals.
Facebook spokesperson Joe Osborne responded to the study in a statement saying that the company recognises it and must do more. He said that the findings will be included in the discussions going on about changing the ads systems.
The researchers posted lumber job ads on Facebook and found out that the algorithm delivered the postings to mostly white men, while secretary positions mostly targeted black women.
It was also found that ads about homes for sale in North Carolina reached mostly white people while rental ads went to mostly black people.
Now, according to the report, the pictures of people in the ads did not appear to affect the audience, the photos however, did appear to be a factor for Facebook’s algorithm in other cases.
For example, showing a football or soldiers versus a flower or paint set led to a mostly male audience for an otherwise identical ad unrelated to jobs, the researchers found.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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