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IBM Advertising Patent Could Present Privacy Concerns

IBM may want to use household appliances to track users and time ads.

Photo of an IBM patent
Photo via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

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IBM might want to go the extra mile to personalize ads. 

The tech firm filed a patent application for “smart advertising timing” in streaming from “internet of things” sensors. IBM’s patent details a system that uses your smartphone and other household devices, such as appliances, speakers, or cameras, to time when to play commercials. 

IBM notes that its invention aims to “dynamically maximize advertisement time in streaming video based on user tolerance in real time and manage the advertisement insertion time and advertisement length based on user activities.” 

If a user opts into this experience, their activities would be monitored while they’re streaming. Opting in allows for data collection through various household sensors. These will track movements, gestures, or activities that indicate how engaged they are with whatever they’re watching. 

This data will help IBM’s system determine a user’s “advertisement tolerance level,” or how receptive they may be to seeing ads at any given moment. That metric is used to determine the best time to show an ad. 

For example, if a user has their eyes glued to their TV during a particularly engaging part of a movie, the system may delay showing an ad until later. If they are out of their seat grabbing a snack, or scrolling on their phone during their fifth rewatch of “Gilmore Girls,” then the system may determine that it’s safe to show an ad with minimal disruption. 

While IBM’s filing notes that users must opt in for this tech to function, it could still present privacy issues depending on how the feature is presented to the user, said Tricia Allen, VP of business development at ad tech firm Reticle AI

For example, if this is positioned as a tool that’s meant to make users’ viewing experience more convenient, but doesn’t explain exactly how, users might agree without being fully informed. And because IBM isn’t itself a content provider, users’ behavior data could travel farther than they realize. “The black box part of this that they’re not realizing is that they’re opting in to have their data shared,” said Allen. 

This patent is likely far from the last of its kind that we’ll see coming from tech firms, said Allen. Marketers are looking for new ways to get to know their target audiences, whether it be while you’re streaming, shopping, or even on the road. But many advertisers aren’t even using this data to the fullest, said Allen. 

“I think just because we have the ability to get it, we feel like we need it,” she said. “But if you’re not understanding the insights within that data, what is it really good for?” 

Plus, there are much less invasive ways to advertise effectively, said Allen. Contextual advertising, or placing ads based on the emotion and context of the content, rather than the person, can be just as successful without invading privacy, said Allen. This could look like pairing an uplifting holiday ad with an article about Christmas travel tips, or placing an ad for running shoes in a sports documentary.

“It’s not an audience-based understanding of emotion. It’s implied that if the content’s emotion is X, chances are you’ll be in a certain mindset,” said Allen. “[Users] are going to have greater trust and reliability in your brand knowing that you are protecting their personal information.”