Court Rules Facebook Can Be Sued Over Advertising Algorithms

Facebook can be prosecuted for ad algorithms that contain discrimination. (Doc. Facebook)

JAKARTA – The California state court has finally given a decision on the class action lawsuit against Facebook. The court ruled that Facebook could be sued over its discriminatory advertising algorithm.

Quoted from The Verge, this problem started in 2020 when Samantha Liapes used Facebook. The 48-year-old woman wanted to look for an insurance provider, but no ads were displayed.

Facebook was accused of violating civil rights laws by not showing insurance ads to Liapes based on her age and gender. According to the court, the case could sue Facebook.

Previously, the court had granted Article 230 protection to Facebook. However, research results show that Facebook includes a drop-down menu that allows for discrimination.

Facebook is not only a publisher and disseminator of content, but also creates, shapes, and develops content. With this finding, the court reversed its previous decision.

Meanwhile, Facebook's advertising algorithm has been under scrutiny for years due to a federal lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed in 2018, accused Facebook of housing discrimination.

The accusations from the United States (US) government were finally resolved by Facebook in 2022 by launching an advertising distribution system. The system was developed to address housing discrimination that Facebook is accused of.