HUD charges Facebook with housing discrimination

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Thursday charged Facebook with housing discrimination, alleging its targeted advertising platform violates the Fair Housing Act by “encouraging, enabling, and causing” unlawful discrimination by restricting who can view housing ads.

The charges caught Facebook off guard, coming one week after the social media giant agreed in a sweeping settlement with civil rights groups to overhaul its microtargeting ad system for job, housing and loan advertisements after discrimination complaints.

“We’re surprised by HUD’s decision, as we’ve been working with them to address...