MAM
Facebook to end discriminatory ad targeting
MUMBAI: Facebook has signed an agreement with the state of Washington to stop third-party advertisers from excluding protected groups and minorities from seeing their ads.
The social media platform has announced that the move is part of a long process to make sure that the tools and filters used to target ads on Facebook are fair, civil and safe, according to Reuters.
“We’ve removed thousands of categories related to potentially sensitive personal attributes — like race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and religion — from our exclusion targeting tools,” the company said in a statement.
Washington attorney general Bob Ferguson said, “Facebook’s advertising platform allowed unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, sexual orientation, disability and religion.”
Now, Facebook will have to make the necessary changes on the platform nationwide within 90 days.
The agreement will also include a 20-month investigation by Washington State’s office that began after non-profit ProPublica published an article on Facebook’s advertisement targeting alleging advertisers could exclude users by race.
Facebook vice president of state and local policy Will Castleberry said in a statement: “Discriminatory advertising has no place on our platform, and we’ll continue to improve our ad products so they’re relevant, effective, and safe for everyone.”
Facebook has faced several legal actions over its advertising policies. In March this year, National Fair Housing Alliance sued the social media giant for excluding groups of people based on characteristics such as family status or sex from receiving ads about housing.
Brands
Hiili names Sanjay Hemady as country manager India
Media veteran to drive digital decarbonisation push
MUMBAI: Climate tech firm Hiili has announced its entry into India, appointing industry veteran Sanjay Hemady as India country manager to steer its growth in one of the world’s fastest-expanding digital markets.
Hemady, a familiar name across India’s media and consulting circles, will lead Hiili’s India operations from Mumbai. His mandate is clear: help Indian companies measure, manage and reduce the carbon emissions generated by their digital services.
Hiili offers a scientifically validated platform, certified by the UC3M-Santander Big Data Institute, that enables businesses to improve the efficiency of their digital infrastructure while cutting emissions. As organisations race to meet ESG targets, the company positions itself as a practical bridge between climate pledges and measurable action.
“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as country manager, India at Hiili,” Hemady said in a LinkedIn post, adding that the company aims to move beyond broad sustainability promises towards precise, science-based decarbonisation.
Hemady brings more than three decades of experience spanning print, television, radio and digital media. He has previously served as chief executive officer at HIT 95 FM, assistant general manager at CNBC TV18, and held leadership roles at MTV India and The Indian Express, among others. Most recently, he worked as an independent business consultant advising firms across media and technology.
With India’s digital economy expanding at pace, the environmental cost of data, streaming and online services is climbing quietly in the background. Hiili’s bet is that carbon efficiency will soon sit alongside cost efficiency in boardroom conversations.
For Hemady, the move marks a shift from selling airtime and ad inventory to championing climate accountability. If successful, Hiili’s India play could make digital growth not just faster, but cleaner too.
