Facebook Taps Obama-Era Official to Lead Civil Rights Oversight

Facebook Inc. said it has hired Roy Austin, a former Justice Department official under President Barack Obama, to oversee its civil rights strategy following criticism of the company’s practices from racial justice groups.

Austin served as a deputy assistant attorney general in the civil rights division between 2010 and 2014 and on Obama’s Domestic Policy Council from 2014 to 2017. He will establish a small team to oversee the company’s civil rights accountability efforts, according to Facebook.

Roy Austin

Photographer: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Austin will report to Facebook General Counsel Jen Newstead, the company said.

Facebook’s announcement follows criticism from civil rights groups that the ...