This is a horrible but true story. Last week, my boyfriend was thinking of buying a new Samsonite luggage and using his laptop to search for the information. He also asked me for my opinions about which one he should buy. That night, a scary thing happened. When I was using Facebook on my phone, a Samsonite luggage ad pops up! I was terrified by the situation. My boyfriend and I are not using the same account or electronic devices. The only thing we did is “talking” about the Samsonite luggage. Why did his search on the laptop cause my mobile phone to receive the ad?
One of my friends told me that if we have allowed the microphone of the devices, the system may collect the information we verbally talk about. At the same time, some of my friends were guessing that the algorithm is to send ads to all devices of the same IP. If someone searches for a brand at this IP address, then the same IP device will receive the ad at the same time. No matter which one is the real explanation of the situation, I am still worried about our privacy under the Internet.
How dangerous is the current online marketing?
Do you have such experience? When you register for a website or app, you will need to click on a button to ensure you have read through and agree with the terms & conditions.
Have you ever take a look at the terms & conditions?
Or, you will just think “Oh, whatever!” and click on the button?
Many people are not aware that it is dangerous to ignore the terms& conditions. We may give personal information such as our age, gender, interests, preferences, etc. to some marketers for free. Some people may think that this kind of information is not that important. However, what if this kind of privacy is used as a scam and cause serious problems?
On a scale of 1-5, I believe the danger of online advertising for society is as high as 5. In many cases, we don’t even know that we are leaking our privacy. The worse thing is that we don’t know who is using and how they are using our private information! Therefore, it is important to create a code of ethics for digital marketers. Here are some points I suggest that all the marketers need to know.
8 codes of ethics for digital marketers
Carefully Balance. Striking a balance between maintaining the privacy of your target audience and gathering enough information to use digital advertising effectively can be difficult, but it is something that you must address carefully. You should try to only collect the information you need without infringing others’ privacy.
Be transparent. People like to read the contents which are easy to read. Do not pretend you are knowledgeable and confuse your readers. This may have a bad effect.
Ensure the quality of content. Ensure the information that you post online is well researched and reliable. You should not post to mislead readers before confirming that the information is correct. The content and layout of the article should be useful and interesting so that readers will be willing to accept the information provided by your company in the future.
Consider the implications. When advertising your products or services on the Internet, you may reach people around the world. It is important to know that you have a big impact. You need to be careful about unethical things, especially about copyrights or laws.
Be frankly. Advertising is not a scam. You need to trust the products or services you are advertising and believe that you can attract people by speaking the truth.
Don’t be biased. When you are advertising online, you need to stay away from your biases and provide the information impartially. This will help you build your credibility and more easily to have a good result in marketing.
Remember your social responsibility. You are not just a digital marketer. At the same time, you are also a part of society. You should give meaningful feedback to the community and provide useful information and help to people. In this way, good feedback will also be reflected in your business results.
Protect privacy. Using people’s information is only for works. After that, you shouldn’t let the secret out from you. Make sure that you are protecting people’s privacy well and pretend that it is your own privacy.
Reference:
Ethical Issues in Digital Marketing | Jumpsix Marketing. (2019). Retrieved 8 November 2019, from https://jumpsixmarketing.com/ethical-digital-marketing-part-1-issues/
Are There Still Ethical Internet Marketers Out There?. (2019). Retrieved 8 November 2019, from https://www.tempeop.com/are-there-still-ethical-internet-marketers-out-there/
Image: 5 Techniques on How to Protect Your Online Privacy | Security … (2019). Retrieved 8 November 2019, from https://images.app.goo.gl/resuE8juku44G2A58
Image: 5 Things to Look For Before Accepting Terms & Conditions – Wall … (2019). Retrieved 8 November 2019, from https://images.app.goo.gl/93enXn3SrEEB3Sv47
