The Internet (which, for the purposes of this research, will include the World Wide Web, newsgroups, gopher sites and FTP sites) has made it possible for people around the world to communicate with each other. Such communication possibilities have not gone unnoticed by marketers, and electronic commerce is a business which is growing rapidly. With such growth, however, and given the lack of coordination among various Internet sites, ethical concerns have arisen regarding Internet marketing. This research examines some of the more common concerns associated with Internet marketing.
One of the areas which garners a lot of media attention is the issue of marketing to youth. Some precautions can be taken to ensure that minors do not view "adult" sites, such as those offering pornography or selling alcohol, but these precautions are largely based on the honesty of the consumer. Consumer groups and some business groups have now joined forces to find ways to force better enforcement age laws on the Internet, such as requiring that alcohol shipments be sent to a local liquor store where the purchaser's identification can be verified by a clerk ("Cyber Grapes," 1999, p. 8).
On-line gambling, which is in its infancy according to most analysts, also poses a problem in terms of ensuring that underage consumers do not participate. Aside from the ethical issues of whether such activity should promoted on the Internet (where compulsive gamblers would have even easier access than is currently available), the issue again becomes one of how to target legitimate customers without also targeting the youth market. Currently, requirements that gamblers have a valid credit card are being cited as too lax, and the promotions themselves, which rely on cartoons and video images generally thought to target youth, are held to court a younger consumer than traditional gaming establishments (Freedman, 1998, p. S36).
The use of "cookies" has gained m...