Legal and Ethical Issues Concerning Internet Marketing Part II

This is my second post concerning legal and ethical issues in internet marketing (I have to do four). I came across an article in the New York Times that discussed the marketing of alcohol over the internet. The article sheds light on the fact that many alcohol companies are abandoning traditional methods of advertising and primarily marketing their products on the world wide web.

While this might look to increase revenue for companies such as Anheuser Busch, there is a serious ethical problem with marketing alcohol via the internet. The article mentions the openness of the internet to young children.

“When you have a liquor ad on TV, there’s a chance a parent can come in and turn off the set before the youngster sees the commercial,” Mr. Hacker said. “Online, with kids going from one screen to another at blazing fast speed, they can hide the liquor screen they’re watching behind five others.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/22/business/media/22adcol.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=legal+internet+marketing&st=nyt&oref=slogin

There is already a problem with underage drinking in the United States and the potential to increase the desire for youngsters to drink is an ethical issue in the world of internet marketing.

While alcohol beverage advertisers often include age verifications to view their webpages, Mr. Hacker makes another valid point in stating, "I put totally fictitious birth days into the age-verification processes.” I would have to agree that this is not a valid form in preventing underage drinkers from obtaining information on their webpages. It is incredibly easy to put in a fake birthdate and hide a young face behind the computer screen.

Alcohol beverage and tobacco adverstisements represent a blurred line of ethics in the internet marketing world. While both should be allowed to freely advertise on the world wide web, it is very important that the correct measures are taken in order to ethically prevent young children from being directed towards ads promoting activities in which they should not yet be exposed to.