Connect with us
Monday,27-July-2026
Breaking News

Business

Meta agrees to stop algorithmic discrimination in housing ads

Published

on

Meta (formerly Facebook) has agreed to settle a lawsuit with the US government that accused the social network of engaging in discriminatory advertising for housing on its platform.

The housing discrimination lawsuit, filed by the government in 2019, accused that Meta enabled and encouraged advertisers to target their housing ads by relying on race, colour, religion, sex, disability, familial status, and national origin to decide which Facebook users will be eligible, and ineligible, to receive housing ads.

Under the settlement, Meta will stop using an advertising tool for housing ads which relies on a discriminatory algorithm to find users who “look like” other users based on Fair Housing Act (FHA)-protected characteristics.

Meta also will develop a new system over the next six months to address racial and other disparities caused by its use of personalisation algorithms in its ad delivery system for housing ads, the US Department of Justice said in a statement late on Tuesday.

If the US concludes that the new system adequately addresses the discriminatory delivery of housing ads, then Meta will implement the system, which will be subject to Department of Justice approval and court oversight.

However, if the government finds that the new system is insufficient to address algorithmic discrimination in the delivery of housing ads, then the settlement agreement will be terminated.

“Because of this ground-breaking lawsuit, Meta will — for the first time — change its ad delivery system to address algorithmic discrimination,” said US Attorney Damian Williams.

“But if Meta fails to demonstrate that it has sufficiently changed its delivery system to guard against algorithmic bias, this office will proceed with the litigation,” Williams added.

Meta’s ad delivery system used machine-learning algorithms that rely in part on FHA-protected characteristics — such as race, national origin, and sex — to help determine which subset of an advertiser’s targeted audience will actually receive a housing ad.

“As technology rapidly evolves, companies like Meta have a responsibility to ensure their algorithmic tools are not used in a discriminatory manner,” said Assistant Attorney General, Kristen Clarke.

This settlement is historic, marking the first time that Meta has agreed to terminate one of its algorithmic targeting tools and modify its delivery algorithms for housing ads in response to a civil rights lawsuit.

“The Justice Department is committed to holding Meta and other technology companies accountable when they abuse algorithms in ways that unlawfully harm marginalised communities,” Clarke added.

Business

There is no delay in probe into Air India Boeing crash: Govt

Published

on

New Delhi, July 27: The Ministry of Civil Aviation informed Parliament on Monday that there has been no delay in the investigation into the Air India Boeing Dreamliner crash at Ahmedabad airport and the inquiry “is progressing as per established procedures.”

The investigations into major aviation accidents depend on several factors and involve multiple variables, making it impossible to specify a fixed timeline for the final report, the ministry said in a written reply to a question in the Upper House.

“The timeline for completing a major air accident investigation cannot be predicted,” the Ministry’s statement said.

It also said that all probable causes and contributing factors leading to the accident are being investigated, indicating that the probe remains comprehensive and no conclusions have been reached so far.

The ministry further informed the Rajya Sabha that the inspection of the complete Thrust Control Module at the original equipment manufacturer’s (OEM) facility is underway as part of the ongoing investigation.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation had earlier, in a reply, also stated in Parliament that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is “transparently” conducting its investigation into the Air India Boeing crash on June 12 last year and “all probable causes leading to the accident are being investigated.”

A preliminary investigation report was published by AAIB on July 12, 2025, and the same is available on their website www.aaib.gov.in. The investigation is in progress, and the final report will be published after completion of the investigation, the ministry stated in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

“As per the ICAO Annex 13 requirements, the interim statement has been published by AAIB on June 12, 2026. The final investigation report will be published after completion of the investigation,” the ministry added.

As many as 260 people were killed when the AI-171 Boeing Dreamliner flight from Ahmedabad to London-Gatwick on June 12 crashed within 35 seconds of taking off. While 241 people on board the Dreamliner lost their lives, 19 people were killed on the ground. One passenger on the plane had a miraculous escape.

The preliminary report released by the AAIB on July 12 stated that both engines of the ill-fated Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner lost thrust after the two fuel cut-off switches moved from the ‘RUN’ to the ‘CUTOFF’ position. However, the cockpit voice recorder has revealed that one of the pilots told the other that he did not turn off the fuel control switches. The fuel switches were then returned back to the RUN position just before the plane crashed.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu earlier said that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s report on the Air India crash was based on preliminary findings, and urged against reaching any conclusions until the final report is released.

Continue Reading

Business

Maharashtra first to qualify for second RKVY instalment after timely fund utilisation

Published

on

New Delhi, July 27: Maharashtra has become the first state to qualify for the second instalment of the government’s Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana funding after utilising about Rs 260 crore of the Rs 335 crore first instalment, exceeding the 75 per cent utilisation benchmark, an official statement said on Monday.

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired the virtual review meeting to assess the utilisation of funds released under the scheme and to consider the issuance of the second instalment to Maharashtra, the statement said, adding that the process for release is being taken up.

The minister acknowledged satisfactory progress under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture and urged the state to accelerate expenditure on digital agriculture, agriculture extension, the National Horticulture Mission, seeds, oilseeds and agroforestry components.

He also suggested that pending liabilities under the Seeds component be booked expeditiously to improve fund utilisation.

Chouhan said Maharashtra’s overall utilisation exceeding the required threshold reflected effective implementation of agricultural development programmes.

The minister emphasised that timely expenditure should always be accompanied by continuous monitoring to ensure that public funds are utilised strictly for the objectives for which they have been sanctioned.

He also appreciated Maharashtra’s performance in generating Farmer IDs and recalled the state’s prompt financial assistance to farmers affected by floods, wherein compensation amounting to around Rs 14,000 crore was transferred directly to farmers’ bank accounts within five days.

During the meeting, a separate discussion was also held on the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). The minister stressed the need for accurate disclosure of information by farmers while applying for crop insurance.

He clarified that both Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and non-KCC farmers are eligible to avail crop insurance benefits, but concealment of KCC status by applying through another account should be avoided.

The proposed declaration on the portal is intended solely to ensure transparency and correctness of information, and not to restrict benefits to any eligible farmer.

Continue Reading

Business

Zen Technologies shares tumble over 10 pc after weak Q1 earnings

Published

on

Mumbai, July 27: Shares of Zen Technologies Ltd. fell more than 10 per cent in early trade on Monday after the technology company reported a weak set of earnings for the first quarter of FY27, hurt by lower revenue and a sharp contraction in operating margins.

At around 10:50 am, the stock had plunged as much as 10.39 per cent to an intraday low of Rs 1,585.55 on the BSE. It later pared some losses to trade at Rs 1,688.95, down 4.55 per cent.

The disappointing quarterly performance has shifted investor attention to the company’s order book and management’s outlook for the rest of the financial year.

Revenue from operations declined 10.5 per cent year-on-year to Rs 142 crore in the April-June quarter, compared with Rs 158 crore in the same period last year.

The company’s operating performance also weakened, with EBITDA falling 38.8 per cent to Rs 38.7 crore from Rs 63.3 crore a year earlier.

Its EBITDA margin narrowed sharply to 27.3 per cent from 40 per cent in the corresponding quarter last fiscal, indicating increased pressure on profitability despite a relatively modest decline in revenue.

Net profit dropped 27.8 per cent to Rs 34.5 crore from Rs 47.8 crore in the year-ago period. The company said the quarterly performance was also affected by a one-time loss of Rs 3.4 crore.

Meanwhile, the board approved a two-year extension for the utilisation of proceeds raised through its qualified institutional placement (QIP). Zen Technologies had raised the funds in August 2024 and has been regularly updating stock exchanges on their utilisation through monitoring and deviation reports.

On Monday, the stock touched an intraday low of Rs 1,585.55. Over the past 52 weeks, it has traded between a low of Rs 1,224 and a high of Rs 2,023.40 on the BSE.

Continue Reading

Trending