"Facebook’s job ads algorithm is sexist, French equality watchdog rules", 5 November 2025

The French equalities regulator has declared that Facebook’s algorithm for placing job adverts is sexist, after an investigation found that adverts for mechanic roles skewed towards men while those for preschool teachers were targeted at women.

The Défenseur des Droits watchdog said the Facebook system for targeted job ads treated users differently based on their sex, and constituted indirect discrimination. The regulator recommended that Facebook and its parent company, Meta, took measures to ensure adverts were non-discriminatory, giving the company three months to inform the French body of the measures.

In its ruling, which is not legally binding, the regulator said the “system implemented for disseminating job offers treats users of the Facebook platform differently based on their sex and constitutes indirect discrimination related to sex”.

The watchdog’s decision came after Global Witness, a campaign group whose remit includes investigating big tech’s impact on human rights, posted adverts on Facebook containing links to a range of jobs in countries including France, the UK, Ireland and South Africa...

Meta rejected the ruling. “We disagree with this decision and are assessing our options,” a spokesperson said...