ABSTRACT
Marketers' use of the new information technologies has provided the opportunity for improved market segmentation and target marketing. However, the profession faces ethical conflicts because application of these technologies commonly invades consumer privacy. Two major ethical conflicts relating to marketing practice and consumer privacy involve discrepant views between businesses and consumers about who should control consumer information and friction between consumer privacy and other consumer or business entity rights. Several practices, technologies, and data sources used by marketers consitute potential or actual threats to consumer privacy: 1. automatic number identification-caller ID, 2. computer-generated telemarketing (autodialing), 3. retailer credit card, and other service transaction records, 4. state databases, and 5. data collected by the federal government. Consumers often have no knowledge that information is being collected. Recommendations for ethical marketing practice for marketers include: 1. making a commitment to fair resolution of conflicting rights, 2. recognizing consumer ownership rights to personal information, and 3. trying target consumer groups more accurately.
Foxman, Ellen R, Kilcoyne, Paula.
Journal of Public Policy & Marketing. Chicago: Spring 1993. Vol. 12, Iss. 1; p. 106
