Ford Files Patent for Targeted Ads Inside the Vehicle

There is a new Ford patent for a system that would play personalized ads inside of cars, which would vary based upon numerous factors. Advertisements would take into account things like whether or not a vehicle was in motion, whether or not the people inside the vehicle are speaking, and even the driver’s present location. It even seems to respond to how vehicle occupants react to the chosen marketing materials. If that sounds rather invasive to you, then you’re probably not alone.

While the system effectively mimics initiatives taken by other manufacturers in the past, it looks to be more comprehensive than previous attempts. For example, General Motors said it would be teaming up with IBM to create AI-generated advertisements catering to individual motorists in 2016 and likewise rope in positional data to better sync in-car marketing opportunities via the infotainment system. GM had similarly been running pilot programs to track the listening behavior of customers in the hope that the resulting data would be useful for advertising purposes.

Ford's patent seems to be casting a wider net and appears to piggyback off an earlier patent designed to use a vehicle’s exterior cameras to read roadside billboards and then use that information to decide what advertisements to play inside the vehicle. However, the above doesn’t necessarily mean the company has plans to put it into use. It may simply have filed the relevant documents in the hope it can block any rivals interested in implementing a similar concept, especially considering how broadly applicable the system happens to be.

In fact, Ford has already responded by suggesting that the patent doesn’t necessarily reflect its future plans.

“Submitting patent applications is a normal part of any strong business as the process protects new ideas and helps us build a robust portfolio of intellectual property,” stated a corporate spokesperson. “The ideas described within a patent application should not be viewed as an indication of our business or product plans. No matter what the patent application outlines, we will always put the customer first in the decision-making behind the development and marketing of new products and services.”

That said, we’ve seen the direction connected vehicles have been heading in general over the last decade and the end result hasn’t been pretty. Customers are broadly dissatisfied with in-car infotainment systems and the amount of privacy they’ve had to sacrifice in regard to modern automobiles. Meanwhile, manufacturers haven’t been great at keeping their promises.

The patent was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in February of 2023 but was not published at the end of August. We only found out about it because it ended up being spotted by Ford Authority.

From Ford Authority:

These days, consumers are bombarded by advertisements – many targeted, based on their search history and interests or demographics – and it’s obvious that companies like Ford are exploring even more ways to incorporate ads into our lives, too. If this patent comes to fruition, we may one day be presented with even more targeted ads, this time, using things like a vehicle’s destination, location, speed, drive mode, or surrounding traffic to determine what kinds of ads — as well as how many — to display.

In addition to taking a user’s personal preferences into consideration, this system also aims to optimize ads for companies that are paying for them by displaying targeted, relevant spots. However, interestingly enough, Ford also notes in the patent that the sheer number of ads could be tailored to a user’s preference, as well as the history of how they interact with certain ads. This type of system would certainly draw its fair share of criticism from consumers, but it’s also clear that Ford is at least exploring the idea of in-vehicle ads in depth, regardless.

While we appreciate Ford making clarifying statements about this patent filing and are somewhat comforted by assertions that it won’t be implemented, the fact of the matter is that many of the above features already exist on your phone and are swiftly being adopted by the automotive sector.

This isn't so much a condemnation of Ford, who likely just wants to get ahead on any prospective intellectual property disputes. But it is something that consumers need to be made aware of, especially considering how willing manufacturers have been to harvest and then sell the private data of their own customers. Keep in mind that most cars couldn't accumulate any data on the person driving it a couple decades ago. But practically every vehicle built today is equipped with a suite of cameras and microphones, is constantly logging telematic data, and transmits as much information back to the manufacturer as possible. We’re already sliding down the slippery slope.

[Images: Ford Motor Co.]

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