The ethical ramifications of surveillance in contemporary advertising for the industry, consumers, and regulators: current issues and a future research agenda

Abstract

Infrastructure and technological advancements mark a change in the nature and the extent of surveillance practices, which have become central in the advertising landscape. These new developments come with their own ethical ramifications for the industry, consumers, and regulators. The current article reviews the current state of advertising ethics and surveillance by examining the role and interplay of the industry, consumers, and regulators. We present a future research agenda in which we call for more research into the ethical consequences of the omnipresent surveillance in advertising regarding the changes in the advertising landscape, and new theoretical and methodological implications.