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Facebook Accused by HUD of Housing Bias Over Use of Targeted Ads

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Re: Facebook Accused by HUD of Housing Bias Over Use of Targeted Ads

#21

Post by bilbo0s »

jdavis703 wrote: post #19
piokoch wrote: post #10

I am not sure I understand the way Fair Housing Act is enforced. Facebook allows ads targeting. This is how it earns money. Apparently some people decided that they want to advertise houses to white Christians population, which is illegal in the USA - shouldn't be HUD after those who configured such criteria, not Facebook? Facebook provided only a tool. Nobody is after hardware store because a hammer bought there was…

These platforms can be overrun by a majority of discriminatory ads. I remember using Craigslist about a decade ago to rent housing in Virginia. Over half the ads easily contained some kind of gender, age, family or religious discrimination (interestingly enough I never saw an ad that explicitly listed race, I suspect that is because explicit racial discrimination is so taboo people used more implicit means of discrim…

>interestingly enough I never saw an ad that explicitly listed race...

???

That must've just been Virginia? Where I lived in Houston, they listed unacceptable races all the time. (I suppose they didn't have to though, it was always the same two races listed.)

Re: Facebook Accused by HUD of Housing Bias Over Use of Targeted Ads

#22

Post by robdachshund »

piokoch wrote: post #10

I am not sure I understand the way Fair Housing Act is enforced. Facebook allows ads targeting. This is how it earns money. Apparently some people decided that they want to advertise houses to white Christians population, which is illegal in the USA - shouldn't be HUD after those who configured such criteria, not Facebook? Facebook provided only a tool. Nobody is after hardware store because a hammer bought there was…

Facebook did not screen the content. They are the one hosting it and are liable.

This isn't a case of "innocent item used nefariously." More like the hardware was selling something inherently illegal.

FB should be liable for the ads they serve on their site.

Re: Facebook Accused by HUD of Housing Bias Over Use of Targeted Ads

#23

Post by reaperducer »

There's sometimes a lot of chatter here on HN about a liberal arts education being worthless.

I have to wonder if more tech employees had taken classes in ethics, philosophy, and other "soft" subjects, if people in the industry would have a better capacity to make decisions that get their companies in trouble less often. Or at least be able to explain to their superiors why a particular business decision is bad.

Re: Facebook Accused by HUD of Housing Bias Over Use of Targeted Ads

#24

Post by reaperducer »

piokoch wrote: post #10

I am not sure I understand the way Fair Housing Act is enforced. Facebook allows ads targeting. This is how it earns money. Apparently some people decided that they want to advertise houses to white Christians population, which is illegal in the USA - shouldn't be HUD after those who configured such criteria, not Facebook? Facebook provided only a tool. Nobody is after hardware store because a hammer bought there was…

Facebook provided only a tool. Nobody is after hardware store because a hammer bought there was used to kill someone.

Your analogy is faulty.

People, governments, and law enforcement agencies go after gun stores that sell guns that are used to kill people.

Re: Facebook Accused by HUD of Housing Bias Over Use of Targeted Ads

#25

Post by bluedino »

reaperducer wrote: post #23

There's sometimes a lot of chatter here on HN about a liberal arts education being worthless. I have to wonder if more tech employees had taken classes in ethics, philosophy, and other "soft" subjects, if people in the industry would have a better capacity to make decisions that get their companies in trouble less often. Or at least be able to explain to their superiors why a particular business decision is bad.

>> There's sometimes a lot of chatter here on HN about a liberal arts education being worthless.

Plenty of people here will argue that you shouldn't take out $80k in student loans to get a liberal arts degree. Worthelss in a ROI sense

But there are a large amount of people here with pretty liberal views. So they certain don't disagree with the viewpoint.

Re: Facebook Accused by HUD of Housing Bias Over Use of Targeted Ads

#27

Post by mastax »

piokoch wrote: post #10

I am not sure I understand the way Fair Housing Act is enforced. Facebook allows ads targeting. This is how it earns money. Apparently some people decided that they want to advertise houses to white Christians population, which is illegal in the USA - shouldn't be HUD after those who configured such criteria, not Facebook? Facebook provided only a tool. Nobody is after hardware store because a hammer bought there was…

42 U.S. Code § 3604.

...it shall be unlawful—

(c) 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, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.

Re: Facebook Accused by HUD of Housing Bias Over Use of Targeted Ads

#28

Post by rhodysurf »

bluedino wrote: post #25
reaperducer wrote: post #23

There's sometimes a lot of chatter here on HN about a liberal arts education being worthless. I have to wonder if more tech employees had taken classes in ethics, philosophy, and other "soft" subjects, if people in the industry would have a better capacity to make decisions that get their companies in trouble less often. Or at least be able to explain to their superiors why a particular business decision is bad.

>> There's sometimes a lot of chatter here on HN about a liberal arts education being worthless. Plenty of people here will argue that you shouldn't take out $80k in student loans to get a liberal arts degree. Worthelss in a ROI sense But there are a large amount of people here with pretty liberal views. So they certain don't disagree with the viewpoint.

liberal arts != liberal viewpoints

Re: Facebook Accused by HUD of Housing Bias Over Use of Targeted Ads

#29

Post by bluedino »

legohead wrote: post #20
piokoch wrote: post #10

I am not sure I understand the way Fair Housing Act is enforced. Facebook allows ads targeting. This is how it earns money. Apparently some people decided that they want to advertise houses to white Christians population, which is illegal in the USA - shouldn't be HUD after those who configured such criteria, not Facebook? Facebook provided only a tool. Nobody is after hardware store because a hammer bought there was…

Facebook doesn't have to allow you to target demographics. If you create an ad, mark it as type "housing", then things like race and wealth shouldn't be an option to target. It's illegal. Using your analogy, when you buy a hammer you don't tell the cashier it's for murder.

You're targeting a demographic with every type of ad. Sure, the radio station doesn't have checkboxes of who hears your ad, you just pick the radio station you want your target to be listening too.

Same goes for billboards. Suburbs? Subway? The highway 2 towns over?

Print media, TV time...the list goes on.

Re: Facebook Accused by HUD of Housing Bias Over Use of Targeted Ads

#30

Post by bilbo0s »

charliesharding wrote: post #2

Hot on the heels of their announcement yesterday. The irony is sweet

That's likely WHY they announced they were getting rid of extremists. They would have had knowledge of these charges today, as well as knowledge of other things the government is looking into vis-a-vis their business. So I'd imagine their lawyers are preempting a lot of things because they seem to be entering an age where there is potential to be charged even if you are secondarily associated with criminal activity. (Potential not just for Facebook, but for everyone else too.)

It's a crazy time right now, because you never know what some person you provided a service for might do.

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