Facebook has turned a blind eye to employers who post gender-discriminating ads, according to a complaint to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
When companies seeking new hires buy ads from Facebook, the social media giant asks whether they want the ads to target “men,” “women” or “all,” according to a complaint filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Communications Workers of America.
But giving employers such an option is a breach of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars discriminating in hiring and recruiting based on sex or gender identity, the complaint states.
“Sex-segregated job advertising has historically been used to shut women out of well-paying jobs and economic opportunities,” ACLU Women’s Rights Project attorney Galen Sherwin said in a statement.
“We can’t let gender-based ad targeting online give new life to a form of discrimination that should have been eradicated long ago.”
Companies that posted discriminatory ads included a lawn care outfit, a window replacement service, a North Carolina local police department and a software developer, the papers state.
“Our primary focus is to build the most talented and most dedicated team in the industry, regardless of who those folks might be, so that we can best serve our customers,” reads a statement from Renewal by Andersen, one of the employers named in the papers for targeting male hires.
“We are an equal opportunity employer, and we are proud of the diversity of our workforce.”
Facebook said it is looking into the allegations.
“There is no place for discrimination on Facebook; it’s strictly prohibited in our policies,” said Facebook spokesman Andy Stone. “We look forward to defending our practices once we have an opportunity to review the complaint.”
With Post wires
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