Member Spotlight: Google Strengthens Anti-Discrimination Policies for Advertising
To further improve access to housing, employment, and credit opportunities, Google is introducing a new personalized advertising policy for certain types of ads. This policy will prohibit impacted employment, housing, and credit advertisers from targeting or excluding ads based on gender, age, parental status, marital status, or ZIP code, in addition to Google’s longstanding personalized advertising policies prohibiting advertisers from targeting users based on sensitive categories like race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, national origin or disability.
Google has been working closely with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on these changes. As part of this effort Google will provide housing advertisers with additional information about fair housing to help ensure they are acting in ways that support access to housing opportunities. We will also continue to work with HUD, civil rights and housing experts, and the broader advertising industry to address concerns around discrimination in ad targeting.
These changes complement Google’s work with businesses, governments, and community organizations on its $1 billion commitment for Bay Area housing. In the first six months of this commitment, Google has helped to create hundreds of new affordable housing units in the Bay Area, including an investment in a development focused on affordable and inclusive housing for adults with disabilities.
