For the past two years, Facebook has been under fire for giving advertisers the ability to exclude people from their targeting based on race, religion, sexual orientation. Now, it needs advertisers to comply with their newly updated non-discrimination policy. (See here the new special ad categories Facebook will introduce in Business Manager)
For a long time, advertisers in sectors such as housing, employment and finance have been using Facebook advertising for wrongfully discriminatory practices by either targeting or excluding specific groups of people. To help maintain the integrity of advertising, Facebook asks all advertisers to comply with their non-discrimination policy.
Although this policy isn’t new, it is necessary for Facebook to draw attention to it since it comes right after signing a new, legally binding agreement with the state of Washington. Based on the document, Facebook has agreed to remove advertisers’ ability to exclude races, religions, sexual orientations, and other protected classes in certain ad-targeting sectors.
Facebook classifies an ad as discriminatory when it “deny opportunities to individuals or groups of people based on certain personal attributes such as race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family/marital status, a disability or a medical or genetic condition“.
Facebook has shared some examples to illustrate better what is considered “discrimination” targeting. 
For advertisers in the housing, employment and credit niche are requested that their ads are inclusive and extend to all groups of people, regardless of certain personal attributes since many locations have laws that specifically prohibit discrimination in these categories.
Advertisers are advised to review and accept the terms of our non-discrimination policy to avoid low to none ad delivery or getting their ads rejected.
