Facebook to make ads searchable

Associated Press

BOSTON

Facebook says it will make advertisements for jobs, loans and credit card offers searchable for all U.S. users after a legal settlement designed to eliminate discrimination on its platform.

The plan disclosed in an internal report Sunday voluntarily expands on a commitment the social medial giant made in March when it agreed to make its U.S. housing ads searchable by location and advertiser.

Ads were only delivered selectively to Facebook users based on such data as what they earn, their education level and where they shop.

The audit’s leader, former American Civil Liberties Union executive Laura Murphy, was hired by Facebook in May 2018 to assess its performance on vital social issues.

Murphy has consulted with dozens of civil-rights groups on the subject as part of her yearlong audit, assisted by lawyers from the firm Relman, Dane & Colfax. Sunday’s 26-page report, which also deals with content moderation and enforcement and efforts to prevent meddling in the 2020 U.S. elections and census, was her second update.

The searchable housing ads database will roll out by the end of 2019, Facebook says, and Murphy said she expects the employment and financial product offerings databases to be available within the next year.

Murphy said she believes the move will positively impact the social mobility of millions in the United States, “so I’m very excited about that.”

Targeted ads tailored to individuals are Facebook’s bread and butter – accounting for all but a sliver of its more than $50 billion in annual revenues last year. It’s unlikely that making the ads searchable would have a significant effect on Facebook’s business. Analysts have cautioned, however, that any restrictions on Facebook’s ability to target ads could scare off advertisers.

The move is likely part of Facebook’s strategy to show regulators that is doing a good job policing its own service – putting it in compliance with existing anti-discrimination law – and doesn’t need a heavy-handed approach from lawmakers. It comes as the company is facing increasing regulatory pressures.