Google to ban targeting housing ads based on gender, age

By Paresh Dave

OAKLAND, Calif. (Reuters) – Alphabet Inc’s Google said on Thursday it would stop allowing housing, employment and credit ads to be targeted to users based on their postal code, gender, age, parental status or marital status.

The new policy, which will go into effect by the end of the year, aims to protect users from unlawful discrimination, Google said in a blog post. The company had previously barred advertisers from choosing whom to show ads to based on users’ race, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.

(Reporting by Paresh Dave; Editing by Aurora Ellis)