Date of Award
5-2022
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Honors Thesis
Department
Strategic Communication: Public Relations and Advertising
First Advisor
Dr. Abbey Levenshus
Abstract
This thesis examines how relevant parties position the ethics of online demographic-based targeting to vulnerable populations. Relevant parties fell into four categories: professional organizations, government organizations, major platforms, and activist groups. As advertising technology has rapidly evolved, relevant parties are in a unique position to shape the ethics of new technologies like demographic-based targeting. Statements from relevant parties were collected and a thematic analysis was conducted to determine the varying stances taken by each relevant party. Five stances emerged from this analysis representing how relevant parties positioned the issue: supports non-discriminatory demographic-based targeting, supports consensual demographic-based targeting, supports legal demographic-based targeting, neutral stance, and opposes demographic-based targeting. The findings illustrated a need for an expanded ethical framework, a comprehensive definition of vulnerable populations, and a need for relevant parties to take responsibility for regulation.
Recommended Citation
Allen, Gabrielle Marie, "Targeted: How Relevant Parties Position the Ethics of Online Demographic-Based Targeted Advertising" (2022). Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection. 615.
https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/ugtheses/615