Technological advancements frequently outpace the law’s
ability to respond to the challenges they create. With the click of
a button, employers can now reach hundreds or even thousands of
potential job applicants by posting advertisements on online
platforms. But research suggests that this convenience is
facilitating certain recruitment practices that may be
discriminatory.
A recent CBC investigation suggests that
using online advertising to target job advertisements to certain
demographics may be discriminatory under Canada’s human
rights legislation. The investigation discovered that employers
have been able to use Facebook’s platform to
“microtarget” audiences for their job advertisements by
selecting various criteria to determine who will be able to view
the ads based on personal characteristics. Most employers set age
as a criterion, while a minority in CBC’s investigation
targeted their job ads based on gender.
