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EEOC Investigating Potential ‘Systemic’ Hiring Bias at Facebook: Report

A new designation for the EEOC’s probe means the agency is probing whether company policies resulted in widespread discrimination.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is investigating hiring at Facebook for racial bias, Reuters reports. The probe is being classified as “systemic,” sources told Reuters, meaning federal agents are looking into whether company policies have resulted in widespread discrimination rather than on an individual basis. Four people have already brought a discrimination lawsuit against Facebook—a current operations manager at Facebook and three people whose applications were rejected—alleging the company employs unfair practices when evaluating Black employees and applicants. The EEOC itself has not brought a suit or any specific allegations against Facebook, and the agency did not comment on the designation of the investigation.