Motorola wants to scan SMS for advertising purposes
Motorola is developing a program that can search text messages and conversations for keywords in order to identify the potential needs of cell phone users and provide them with targeted advertising. A challenge both technically and in terms of data protection.
The cell phone company Motorola is using a technical innovation to penetrate the untapped advertising market for cell phones. According to marketing manager Kenneth Keller, the company is developing a program that can search text messages and conversations installed on cell phones for keywords, from which the needs of the phone owner can be read. It will also be possible to determine the person's location using GPS. In this way, people could be sent individually tailored advertising by text message. For example, if the words "hungry" or "food" were picked up, the person could be sent advertising for a nearby restaurant, Keller said. This was reported by Times Online on Saturday, and Keller is obviously aware that the technology is not compatible with data protection. The company is therefore considering "opt-in" models in which phone owners would have to give their express consent beforehand. However, Simon Davies, Director of Privacy International, was extremely critical of this, telling the Times that cell phone companies would create incentives such as reduced prices to get customers to sign up for such services. On the other hand, this would mean that customers would be financially penalized for not allowing advertising.
It remains to be seen whether the idea outlined by Keller can actually be implemented. In addition to data protection hurdles, the technical requirements are also high; for example, only 3rd generation cell phones (UMTS) can be considered because fast data connections are required to send advertising. In addition, the devices would have to be equipped with GPS technology. However, studies predict a bright future for opt-in models. The first such service was introduced three weeks ago by the British advertising agency Blyk. Customers receive free minutes for mobile advertising. As far as customized advertising is concerned, however, customers still have to fill out a profile (with consumer and brand preferences) on a Blyk website in the old-fashioned way.
