Abstract: Advertising has evolved beyond traditional media to dynamic, artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven displays that interact with passersby. Marketers now use various technologies to collect and combine geospatial and personal data from drivers and pedestrians, often without their explicit consent. The rise of geotargeted advertising and its use of geospatial imaging and geofencing has sparked debates over surveillance, data security, and the extent of consumer rights. As companies increasingly use these technologies to deliver targeted advertising to mobile devices penetrating their geofenced borders and beyond, these activities raise both legal and ethical privacy concerns; the practice of geotargeting has even been classified as an “unfair or deceptive practice” in some instances. This teaching case, which focuses on real-world legal scenarios of geotargeted advertising, is intended to facilitate critical thinking about the intersection of geospatial technologies and privacy rights. The case can be used to illustrate the strategic use of geospatial technologies in business and to initiate discussion across multiple IS2020/CC2020 competency areas, including privacy, ethics, professionalism, and data security.

Keywords: Teaching case, Geospatial data, Privacy, Targeted advertising, Ethics, Geofencing

Download This Article: JISE2026v37n3pp397-412.pdf

Recommended Citation: Ladwig, C., & Schwieger, D. (2026). Teaching Case: No Place to Hide: Ethical and Legal Challenges in Geospatial Consumer Targeting. Journal of Information Systems Education, 37(3), 397-412. https://doi.org/10.62273/KRTU5903