Study flags gender bias in Facebook's ads tools

FILE PHOTO: A 3D plastic representation of the Facebook logo is seen in this illustration in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, May 13, 2015. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic//File Photo

(Reuters) - Facebook users may not be learning about jobs for which they are qualified because the company's tools can disproportionately direct ads to a particular gender "beyond what can be legally justified," university researchers said in a study published on Friday.

According to the study, in one of three examples that generated similar results, Facebook targeted an Instacart delivery job ad to a female-heavy audience and a Domino's Pizza delivery job ad to a male-heavy viewership.