An Associated Press article today describes the audience scanning and tracking technology that is becoming part of a growing number of digital signage systems.

Small cameras can now be embedded in the screen or hidden around it, tracking who looks at the screen and for how long. The makers of the tracking systems say the software can determine the viewer’s gender, approximate age range and, in some cases, ethnicity — and can change the ads accordingly.

Overall, the article is a balanced treatment of the technology, its capabilities and limitations, and the range of opinions for and against. There is an obligatory reference to Orwell’s Big Brother as well as the movie Minority Report, in which digital ads are individually customized based on iris scans. Finally, the article quotes a couple of privacy advocates, who feel the technology gathers far too much information for the public good.

It’s no surprise that some people will find the idea of audience tracking intrusive, even if the systems ostensibly gather less information than a typical surveillance camera. As with everything, perception will trump reality. Depending on how the reporting goes and how public opinion is shaped by that reporting, advertisers and retailers could find themselves on the business end of a public backlash.

So, if there were ever a time for the digital signage and retail industries to get their story straight and begin to manage public perceptions of audience tracking, it’s now. Specifically, advertisers and retailers need to knock heads and begin develop standards in the following areas:

• Consumer education – The industry should help frame the debate and the terminology being used to describe audience tracking systems. Public education efforts should aim to inform consumers on how audience tracking and analysis technology works, how it’s being used, and toward what ends (relevancy of advertising, right?).
• Government engagement – Especially in the area of DOOH (digital out-of-home), advertisers run the risk of having to cope with restrictive regulations in how they use tracking systems in public spaces. Now is the time to develop self-regulation (e.g., industry standards for tracking system deployment and data use) and engage local governments pro-actively to accept those standards.
• Consumer involvement - Advertisers should involve consumers (e.g., via oversight committees), watchdog groups and privacy advocates in a way that provides transparency and assurances regarding how tracking data is being handled.
• Opt-out schemes – In the U.S., the CAN-SPAM Act, was the result of email marketing run amok. The law requires email marketers to provide consumers with the ability to opt-out of future email marketing. Is opt-out an eventuality (or an inevitability?) for audience tracking systems?

Are you aware of efforts to inform the public or to develop industry standards regarding audience tracking technology? Please let us know by leaving a comment!

Read: “When you watch these ads, the ads check you out”

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