HUD Files Fair Housing Complaint Against Facebook

Aug 17, 2018

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has filed a formal complaint against Facebook for allegedly violating the Fair Housing Act by enabling housing discrimination in its advertising platform.

In its complaint, HUD stated that Facebook allows advertisers to target which users are able to receive housing-related advertisements based on race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, disability and ZIP Code. HUD added that Facebook also allows advertisers to set preferences by offering discriminatory options, thus limiting housing options for the protected classes under the Fair Housing Act.

In addition, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York filed a statement of interest, joined in by HUD, in U.S. District Court on behalf of a number of private litigants challenging Facebook’s advertising platform as being discriminatory.

“The Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination including those who might limit or deny housing options with a click of a mouse,” said Anna María Farías, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “When Facebook uses the vast amount of personal data it collects to help advertisers to discriminate, it’s the same as slamming the door in someone’s face.”

About the author

Phil Hall

Link copied

Published

Aug 17, 2018

Home Equity

Achieve Closes $261.5M HELOC Securitization Ahead Of Planned TPO Launch

The company expects to begin purchasing fixed-rate HELOCs from correspondent lenders during the third quarter

Achieve has completed a $261.5 million securitization backed by 3,129 fixed-rate home equity lines of credit as it prepares to begin purchasing HELOCs from correspondent lenders.ACHM Trust 2026-HE1 closed July 30 and was announced Aug. 6. It is Achieve’s first HELOC securiti...

Analysis and Data

Better Will Miss September Break-Even Target, Interim CEO Says

Platform volume overtook DTC, but costly enterprise integrations have yet to deliver, and new partnership growth is not expected until Q4

Better Home & Finance will miss its goal of reaching adjusted EBITDA break-even by the end of September, interim CEO Daniel Lewis acknowledged during his first earnings call leading the company.Rather than set another deadline, Lewis said Better must first show that it c...

Aug

Las Vegas, NV

More from

Regulation and Compliance

Servicers Begin Testing Systems Ahead of VA Partial Claim Deadline

VA lenders and servicers have until Nov. 28 to implement the new loss mitigation waterfall and Partial Claim Program

Regulation and Compliance

Aug 06, 2026

ROAD Act’s Housing Incentive May Be Too Small To Move Supply

Realtor.com finds the median city risks losing only about $84,000, although the policy could carry more weight in supply-starved Northeast and Midwest markets

Regulation and Compliance

Aug 05, 2026

CRA Proposal Could Reshape Bank Lending And Affordable Housing Investment

The OCC and FDIC would put more weight on lending while easing community development requirements for hundreds of banks

Regulation and Compliance

Aug 05, 2026

Fannie Mae AI Governance Deadline Arrives Aug. 6

Seller/servicers using artificial intelligence in origination or servicing must have formal policies, oversight, and vendor controls in place

Regulation and Compliance

Jul 31, 2026

Condo Review Deadline Puts Lenders On The Clock

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will eliminate abbreviated project reviews for condo applications dated on or after Aug. 3