A Quebec appeals court has approved a class action lawsuit against Facebook, accusing the social network of discrimination based on age, gender or origin in its advertising targeting, the plaintiffs’ attorney said Wednesday.
The Californian social media giant could have to pay damages to thousands of Quebecers who have used the platform since 2016 to look for work and housing, and would have hidden their ads due to these discriminatory criteria.
“We are pleased with the ruling of the Quebec Court of Appeal,” greeted the plaintiffs’ attorney, Audrey Boctor, referring to “widespread discriminatory practices.”
The algorithm in question
“Algorithmic discrimination that prevents certain groups of people, such as women and older workers, from receiving job advertisements is just a modern form of the same type of discrimination that is prohibited by the Quebec Charter,” he said in an email.
The class action lawsuit began in 2019 before being dismissed by a trial court. Facebook’s parent company Meta declined to comment on the Quebec Court of Appeals decision, but said it took steps “to promote non-discrimination and fairness in (its) advertising systems.”
The group has also faced similar lawsuits in the United States. In June, the company agreed to change its targeting methods and pay $115,054 in penalties to end a US government lawsuit that accused it of facilitating racist and sexist discrimination.
Source: BFM TV
