HUD is charging Facebook with violating the Fair Housing Act. This charge claims that Facebook is “encouraging, enabling, and causing housing discrimination through the company’s advertising platform.”

HUD announced this in a press release put out this morning, March 28, 2019. This charge succeeds a HUD investigation prompted by a “Secretary-initiated complaint filed on August 13, 2018.” The allegations include Facebook unlawfully discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, familial status, sex, and disability by restricting who can view housing related ads on Facebook’s platforms and across the internet. In other words, Facebook is limiting ads to people based on their demographic.

HUD Secretary Ben Carson made this statement, “Facebook is discriminating against people based upon who they are and where they live… Using a computer to limit a person’s housing choices can be just as discriminatory as slamming a door in someone’s face.”

The Charge will be heard by a United States Administrative Law Judge. This is unless any party to the Charge elects to have the case heard in federal district court. Damages may be rewarded for the harm caused by discrimination if the ruling finds that discrimination has occurred.

Read the full details about HUD’s Charge here.