WASHINGTON: Trump administration accused Facebook of selling targeted advertising that discriminated on the basis of race, in violation of the U.S. Fair Housing Act.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said here in its civil charge that Facebook also restricted who could see housing-related ads based on national origin, religion, familial status, sex and disability, seeking damages and unspecified relief for harm caused,

Facebook said it had been working with the department to address the concerns and was surprised by the decision to issue the charge, having taken “significant steps” to prevent ads that discriminate across its platforms.

The company also said the government had “insisted on access to sensitive information – like user data – without adequate safeguards,” adding that it was willing to provide aggregate reports but not user-level personal information.

The social media giant last week agreed to overhaul its paid advertising platform as part of a wide-ranging settlement with U.S. civil rights groups, which had filed five separate lawsuits accusing the company of enabling discrimination in advertising.

Under U.S. law, including the federal Fair Housing Act, it is illegal to publish certain types of ads – including online ads – if they indicate a preference based on race, religion, sex or other specified classifications.