Introduction
Online targeted advertising is becoming a popular tool to promote brand recognition and form company loyalty. However, numerous ethical questions arise due to the controversy over the matter. One of such problems is whether it is ethical to target children and adolescents. On the one hand, some stakeholders recognize the danger in the issue and insist that the internet should be free from advertisements targeting children (World Health Organization, p. 31). On the other hand, experts believe it may be impossible to avoid targeting children. Therefore, software engineers are to consider ethical standards to ensure the best interest of the public (van Reijmersdal, p. 397). The present paper provides an overview of the two competing views and concludes that targeting children may be ethical if their parents are provided with a chance to opt out, and the product is not harmful. The answer to the posed question implies that software developers need to provide a clear way for users to avoid online targeted advertisements.
Topic Overview
Online advertising is an innovative technique used by marketing managers to deliver information about the most appropriate products and services. While the intention seems benevolent, there are numerous legal and ethical issues associated with the matter. Targeted advertisements are usually the product of the analysis of personal information accumulated by specialized software, including data exposed in social media profile pages and browsing behavior (van Reijmersdal et al. p.396). Such information is usually acquired without due transparency, and internet users often do not have the opportunity to prohibit the collection of such information. Moreover, the gathered data may be unsafe due to increased vulnerability to security breaches (Nill and Aalberts, p. 130). While the adults may be aware of such risks and can modify their online behavior accordingly, children often cannot understand the matter and engage in risky or inappropriate behavior (Clemons and Wilson, p. 41). The topic is relevant for computer science because developers can modify their software according to ethical standards to ensure public interest.
Ethical Question
Children and adolescents are considered a vulnerable population, which must be protected by society. Therefore, the question arises if it is ethical to target children in online advertisements. According to van Reijmersdal et al., children think differently from adults and may like or dislike a product based on its commercial’s attractiveness. Additionally, children may mindlessly share personal information without realizing the consequences (Clemons and Wilson, p. 42). While it is clear that targeted advertising with adequate regulations is ethical for adults (Nill and Aalberts, p. 143), the question requires in-depth analysis to understand if software engineers and marketing managers should target children.
Competing Views
There are two mutually exclusive answers to the posed question. On the one hand, it seems unethical to target children in online advertisements since it may be associated with adverse outcomes. According to the World Health Organization, children should not receive ads while participating in digital media activity because it violates the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Commercials for unhealthy food and soft drinks may become the reason for children’s unhealthy eating habits, which is associated with increased morbidity and mortality among children (World Health Organization, p. 15). Additionally, the research shows that families do not approve that third parties acquire, store, and analyze personal information about their children (Clemons and Wilson, p. 43). Therefore, online advertisements targeting children are deemed unethical since they do not serve the best interests of the public.
On the other hand, targeted advertisements may promote awareness among children and help them become wise consumers. According to Allen, with parents’ assistance, children can learn to control their emotions, compare products, and do research. However, the effect may be achieved if companies do not try to mislead, target adult products to kids, and protect children from danger (Allen). In summary, the two opposing views are either to protect children for online targeted advertisements or to allow such strategies if they adhere to ethical standards.
Proposed Answer
While both of the competing views have a clear rationale behind them, the answer to the question seems to lie in the synthesis of the two opinions. A critical analysis shows that children can be targeted in online advertisements only if their parents agree with it, and the product is not potentially harmful. In case of disagreement, families are to be provided with the opportunity to stay away from such commercial information. Since children cannot legally make decisions, families are to be provided with full control over the matter. In other words, parents or legal representatives are to be given the right to decide if and how much their children should be exposed to targeted advertisements. At the same time, the ads are to be allowed only if they adhere to standards identified by the code of ethics of marketing managers and software engineers.
Justification
The answer seems to be appropriate considering the concepts of deontological ethics. The discussion of competing views makes it clear that the outcomes of online advertisements targeting children are unpredictable and may vary depending on the children’s personality and environmental issues. Therefore, a utilitarian approach to the question is inappropriate and is to be avoided. Since children are a vulnerable population, only social contract theory seems to be appropriate for justification of the answer. According to Shafer-Landau, deontological theories consider unethical to use another human’s body, labor, and talent without his or her consent. The end goal of the marketing managers and software engineers who compile, store, and analyze sensitive data is to sell products and receive profit. Therefore, they must acquire users’ authorization before showing targeted advertisements. Since children are not legally allowed to sign informed consents, their parents or legal representative should do so. If appropriate adults disagree, children are to be provided with a chance to avoid the matter.
The proposed answer adheres to four principles of the Code of Ethics for software engineers. First, it ensures the safety, well-being, and interests of the public, which is vital according to the IEEE Computer Society. Second, the answer supports the notion that the product is to adhere to the highest professional standards possible. Third, it protects the reputation of the profession of software developers. Finally, the answer serves both client and employer to their best interests with interfering with anyone’s legal rights. In short, the proposed solution adheres to the most important principles of the Code of Ethics.
Implications
Even though it is clear that parents are to be provided with the opportunity to block online advertisements targeting their children, there is no explicit strategy to provide them with such an opportunity. According to van Reijmersdal, children may be targeted unintentionally because they sometimes post personal information on social media websites they are not allowed to use. Therefore, while developing software that aims at gathering personal data for targeted advertising, engineers are to think of the ways to identify children and provide their parents with the opportunity to opt out. Additionally, engineers are to ensure that the acquired data is safely stored and appropriate adults can modify or delete the information if they find it necessary. The strategy will help to serve the client and the employer and ensure the best reputation of the profession.
Conclusion
The growth of online targeted advertisements poses many ethical issues. One of such questions is whether children are to be exposed to the matter. On the one hand, it may be beneficial since it promotes informed consuming. On the other hand, it may be harmful to children since they engage in risky online behavior. The proposed answer is that children can be targeted online if the advertisements adhere to quality standards, and the families are provided with the opportunity to remove such ads. The professional implications of the answer include that software engineers are to think about efficient ways of blocking online advertisements if the appropriate adults do not want their children to see them.
Annotated Bibliography
Allen, Ben. “The Ethics of Marketing to Children and Teens”Marketing Inside Group, 2017. Web.
In this article, the author discusses the ethical issues of online marketing to children and teenagers. The author believes that since the number of devices that have access to the internet increases every day, children are exposed to advertisements with high intensity. Allen offers an ethical guideline for companies whose target audience includes children to preserve consumer trust. First, the author insists that children should not be misled, lied to, distracted, or confused. Second, companies should not target adult products to kids by using tools resonating with children. Third, the information about children is to be safe from the attacks of hackers. The author concludes that the purpose of marketing to children is to make them informed consumers.
Clemons, Eric K., and Joshua S. Wilson. “Family Preferences Concerning Online Privacy, Data Mining, and Targeted Ads: Regulatory Implications.” Journal of Management Information Systems, vol. 32, no. 2, 2015, pp. 40-70.
The authors of this article aim at studying families’ opinion about teen privacy around the world. They used three different tools to survey parents and students to understand their attitude toward data mining of educational applications. The authors argue that since children engage in risky or inappropriate behavior online, gathering and storing this information for targeted advertisements may negatively affect their future. The results of the research show that families prefer a much lower rate of data mining than the current level. The authors suggest that regulatory interventions may be needed to improve the current situation.
IEEE Computer Society. “Code of Ethics”Computer.org. Web.
The code outlines eight principles for software engineers to follow to maintain health, safety, and welfare of the public. According to the code, software engineers are to act consistently with the interest of the public, client, and employer. The developers are expected to ensure that their products adhere to the highest standards, and their professional judgment is independent and unbiased. Software engineering managers need to promote an ethical approach to the management of software development and maintenance. The programmers are to advance the integrity and reputation of the profession, be fair to and supportive of their colleagues, and participate in lifelong learning regarding their practice to ensure an ethical approach in their job.
Nill, Alexander, and Robert J. Aalberts. “Legal and Ethical Challenges of Online Behavioral Targeting in Advertising.” Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising, vol. 35, no. 2, 2014, pp. 126-146.
The authors of this article assess the current state of online behavioral targeting and identify the primary issues with the matter. The authors state that it is poorly understood by most consumers, nontransparent, deceptive, and does not give a reasonable chance to opt out. Therefore, marketers and software engineers are to follow six guiding principles to ensure the best interest of the public. Online targeting should be free of deception, transparent, provide control over information, promote data security, consider the interests of all stakeholders, and be fair. The authors conclude that there are no clear regulations of the matter, and the six principles can be used to elaborate them.
Shafer-Landau, Russ. The Fundamentals of Ethics. 4th ed., Oxford University Press, 2017.
The author of the book aims at summarizing all the existing knowledge about ethics in one comprehensively organized book. It includes an overview of all the ethical questions and various answers to these questions based on the philosophical views. The author claims that in the era of rapidly growing scientific knowledge, it is vital to address the ethics of people’s actions. Before answering if something can be done, humans are to understand if it should be done.
Van Reijmersdal, Eva A. et al. “Processes and Effects of Targeted Online Advertising among Children.” International Journal of Advertising, vol. 36, no. 3, 2017, pp. 396-414.
The authors of this article studied the effects of profile targeting on children’s brand responses, including brand attitude and purchase intention. They surveyed 231 children aged 9-13 and concluded that targeting the product leads to more favorable brand attitudes and purchase intentions. However, children, unlike adults, do not recognize targeting.
World Health Organization. “Tackling Food Marketing to Children in a Digital World: Trans-Disciplinary Perspectives.” World Health Organization Europe, 2016.
The document discusses the current state of things concerning food and soft drink advertisements to children in the digital world. It evaluates the implications of the matter and provides suggestions about policies that are to be promoted to ensure best practices. The authors conclude that children are to be protected from online targeting since they are considered a vulnerable population.