French regulator rules Facebook’s job ads algorithm as discriminatory | HRD America

Facebook’s algorithm constitutes ‘indirect discrimination on the basis of sex’ Facebook’s algorithm in recommending job ads to users constitutes indirect discrimination by gender, according to France’s equalities regulator, in a new decision from a European country that holds the tech giant accountable for the algorithm. Défenseur des Droits ruled in a decision last month that Meta, Facebook’s parent company, is breaking French anti-discrimination law for the sexist job ads recommendations of its algorithm. “The system implemented to disseminate job opportunities treats users of the Facebook platform differently because of their gender and constitutes indirect discrimination on the basis of sex,” the Défenseur des Droits ruled. It gave Meta three months to implement measures to ensure the non-discriminatory nature of the display of advertisements for job opportunities. Facebook’s discriminatory algorithm The decision comes after a complaint filed by French women’s rights organisations, Fondation des Femmes and Femmes Ingénieures, in collaboration with investigative campaigning organisation Global Witness. According to the findings, the job ads on Facebook for mechanic positions were mostly shown to male users, while postings for preschool teacher positions were mostly shown to female users. “We are concerned that in showing job ads predominantly to one gender the company’s ad
Read More