Facebook Bans Discriminatory Ads to Resolve Washington AG Probe

Facebook agreed to prohibit discriminatory ads nationwide after a 20-month investigation by Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson (D), the AG’s office said Tuesday. Third-party advertisers no longer may exclude ethnic and religious minorities, immigrants, LGBTQ individuals and other protected groups from seeing ads, his office said. Under the agreement filed in King County Superior Court, the platform within 90 days must make changes, which will be permanent and legally binding, it said. The company must also pay $90,000 to the AG to cover costs and fees, the office said. “Facebook’s advertising platform allowed unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, sexual orientation, disability and religion,” said Ferguson. “That’s wrong, illegal, and unfair.” Facebook is glad it reached an agreement with Ferguson's office, said Vice President-State and Local Policy Will Castleberry. "We’ve worked closely with them to address the issues they've raised. Discriminatory advertising has no place on our platform, and we'll continue to improve our ad products so they're relevant, effective, and safe for everyone.” Facebook announced the changes in April.