Guidelines for Augmented Reality Advertising: A Consumer Ethical Impact Assessment Tool

Abstract

Augmented reality (AR) has the possibility to significantly change our daily lives. More head-mounted AR devices are coming to market and a world where we are using these throughout our daily life is becoming more and more feasible. Advertisers are jumping at the op- portunity to use the new possibilities that AR offers. Their enthusiasm is well-founded, based on the ability to alter the user’s view of reality, sensors collecting data about the user’s surroundings, facial expressions, eye movement and more, experts state that AR will be a great persuader. Advertisements are no longer limited to billboards or screens and will be more entangled with real-world objects. Potentially even people could be altered to appear happier when using advertised products. The ques- tion arises as to what extent advertisers should be allowed to go and what impact this will have on consumers. This research aims to tackle this question with a set of ethical guidelines for AR advertising. To aid advertisers in following these guidelines, the augmented reality ethical consumer impact assessment tool has been created. Based on a set of questions that the advertiser answers, the tool indicates which guide- lines are followed and what should be improved to minimise the harmful effects on their audience. With the guidelines and the tool, this research aspires to spark a discussion about the ethics surrounding augmented reality advertising and make a contribution towards a unified ethical framework for the creation of AR technologies in general.