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
Ascenta elevates Adheip Bakshi to sales director amid growth push
Move aligns with expansion plans and flagship Basalt Hills development
MUMBAI: Ascenta has elevated its co-founder Adheip Bakshi to the role of sales director, signalling a sharper focus on scaling operations and expanding its market footprint.
Bakshi, who has been instrumental in shaping the company’s sales and marketing strategy since its early days, brings over a decade of experience in real estate sales and operational planning. He has played a central role in building Ascenta’s channel network and refining its go-to-market approach.
The leadership move comes as the company gears up for its next phase of growth, anchored by Basalt Hills, a 20-acre low-density villa estate positioned within the emerging Mumbai 3.0 corridor. Designed as a hospitality-led, lifestyle-focused community, the project combines serviced plots, bespoke villas and curated infrastructure within a natural basalt landscape.
Speaking on his new role, Bakshi said, “I’m excited to take on this role at a pivotal stage in Ascenta’s journey. Our focus remains on building a disciplined, channel-driven sales ecosystem while aligning closely with evolving buyer expectations for lifestyle-oriented developments. Basalt Hills is a strong reflection of this direction, and we aim to scale thoughtfully while maintaining the integrity of the product and experience.”
Commenting on the elevation, Ascenta founder and managing director Karan Bahl said, “This elevation reflects a natural progression, recognising Adheip’s contribution to the business and his ability to scale sales operations in a competitive luxury segment. As we expand our portfolio of boutique, design-led developments, strengthening leadership across functions remains a key priority.”
With this leadership shift, Ascenta appears to be doubling down on structured growth while keeping its focus firmly on design-led, premium real estate, a space that continues to evolve with changing buyer aspirations.
