Shocka! Sometimes ‘algorithms and online results simply reflect people’s attitudes and behaviors’

Research out of Harvard University meanwhile “found that ads for arrest records were significantly more likely to show up on searches for distinctively black names or a historically black fraternity.” A University of Washington study “found that a Google Images search for ‘CEO’ produced 11 percent women, even though 27 percent of United States chief executives are women.” While race or gender discrimination is illegal, no laws are in place to address this; it is perfectly legal to target ads. The Federal Trade Commission says advertisers can “target people who live in low-income neighborhoods with high-interest loans.”