Facebook Lets Advertisers Exclude Users by Race

“Imagine if, during the Jim Crow era, a newspaper offered advertisers the option of placing ads only in copies that went to white readers.

That’s basically what Facebook is doing nowadays.

The ubiquitous social network not only allows advertisers to target users by their interests or background, it also gives advertisers the ability to exclude specific groups it calls “Ethnic Affinities.” Ads that exclude people based on race, gender and other sensitive factors are prohibited by federal law in housing and employment.”

Not great timing for Zillow, which announced a partnership with Facebook earlier this week. If true Facebook’s (and Zillow’s, for that matter) response to this should be swift.

UPDATE 11-11-2016

According the USA today it looks like Facebook is “no longer allow advertisers to exclude specific racial and ethnic groups when placing ads related to housing, credit or employment.”

via Daring Fireball