What happened: 2016 ProPublica race-exclusion ads
On October 28, 2016, ProPublica reported that Facebook’s advertising platform allowed advertisers to exclude users by race, using “ethnic affinities.” Tests showed housing-related ads could be aimed away from African-American, Asian-American, and Hispanic users. That was investigative reporting about a product feature, not a trial verdict.
What happened: 2020 Stop Hate for Profit boycott
On June 17, 2020, AP reported that a coalition including the NAACP, Color of Change, and the Anti-Defamation League asked large advertisers to pause Facebook ad campaigns in July, saying the social network was not doing enough to curtail racist and violent content. That is an organized advertiser boycott with Black civil-rights groups among the leads. It is not a court finding that Facebook uniquely targeted Black users, and the coalition’s mandate also covered other hate and misinformation.
What happened: 2022 Fair Housing Act settlement
In June 2022 the United States sued Meta, alleging that Facebook housing-ad delivery algorithms discriminated based on race and other Fair Housing Act protected traits. The court approved a settlement days later. Meta agreed to stop a lookalike-style Special Ad Audience tool for housing ads, restrict targeting options tied to protected characteristics, and build a Variance Reduction System. It also paid a $115,054 civil penalty. The complaint’s allegations were resolved by settlement, not a trial verdict.
The Cookout read
Concern. Who even sees a housing ad is a civil-rights question for Black home-seekers and others. ProPublica documented the targeting tools; a 2020 civil-rights advertiser boycott put economic pressure on the company; the 2022 settlement forced a rebuild. The civil penalty was small; the system change is the substance.