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The US government stated that the social media giant will pay up to $14.3 million in a separate settlement agreement.
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Published on October 19, 2021
Facebook Inc. has reached a settlement with the US government on accusations that it discriminated against domestic workers by retaining thousands of jobs for foreigners holding temporary H-1B visas.
The government said on Tuesday that Facebook agreed to pay up to $14.3 million in a separate settlement agreement with the Department of Justice and the Department of Labor.
“Facebook cannot be above the law. It must comply with our country’s federal civil rights law, which prohibits discriminatory recruitment and employment,” said Christine Clark, Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
In a briefing with reporters, officials from the Department of Justice and Labor stated that Facebook effectively prevented Americans from applying for certain positions in the Menlo Park, California-based company, and reserved for foreign holders of H-1B visas. These positions.
The Justice Department stated that the social media company agreed to fine US$4.75 million and provide another US$9.5 million to victims of corporate discrimination. “This settlement reflects the civil rights department’s commitment to holding employers accountable,” Clark said.
The company’s stock price rose 1.3% to $339.74 at 3:08 pm in New York.
Facebook said in an email statement that although the company believes it meets the government’s labor certification practice standards, it has reached a settlement agreement that allows it to advance its overall immigration plan and supports its highly skilled visa holders seeking permanent residency. Yes.
Facebook is under pressure on many fronts, especially after former employee Frances Haugen shared thousands of pages of internal research and documents with the media and testified before Congress. She claimed that the company puts profit first while inciting division, undermining democracy and harming the mental health of its youngest users.
Last month, the Wall Street Journal published some internal research provided by Haugen, who testified before a panel of the Senate Commerce Committee on October 5. At the hearing, she criticized Facebook for not putting the well-being of users first. The company’s founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg denied this description, saying it was “not true.”
Antitrust law
The company is also filing a lawsuit with the Federal Trade Commission, accusing the company of violating antitrust laws and seeking to lift its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.
In December last year, the US Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Facebook, claiming that the company “refused to recruit, consider or hire qualified and available American workers for more than 2,600 positions” and instead reserved positions with an average salary of $156,000 to non-employees. It sponsors citizens who hold green cards to obtain permanent work permits.
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