Meta agrees to alter ad technology

Meta on Tuesday agreed to alter its ad technology and pay a penalty of $115,054, in a settlement with the justice department over claims that the company’s ad systems had discriminated against Facebook users by restricting who was able to see housing ads on the platform based on their race, gender and ZIP code.

Under the agreement, Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, said it would change its technology and use a new computer-assisted method that aims to regularly check whether those who are targeted and eligible to receive housing ads are, in fact, seeing those ads.