The feature is the result of almost a year of collaboration between the Justice Department and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In 2019, Meta (formerly Facebook) was accused of promoting housing discrimination by allowing advertisers to omit specific demographics, including those covered by the Fair Housing Act. In a settlement reached in June 2022, the social media giant agreed to adopt VRS while also discontinuing the “Special Ad Audience” feature, the algorithm of which allegedly contributed to prejudice. In response to another complaint, Meta already curtailed ad targeting in 2019.
