July 10, 2024 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlightedthe following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source proofread by IMDEA Networks Institute Advertisers systematically pay more to show online ads to women than to men, especially in highly developed nations, according to research from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and IMDEA Networks. This gender-based price discrimination in digital marketing, known as the "pink tax," contributes to increasing gender inequality, as women are charged more to access similar products and services.
This research, recently published in the journal EPJ Data Science , has led to the largest empirical study on the digital marketing pink tax (DMPT) conducted to date, according to the researchers. Specifically, they analyzed data from over 4.5 million Facebook audience groups in 187 countries and 40 territories.
Additionally, they employ a novel methodology using the advertising platform API of this social network to collect data on advertising costs for male and female audiences, providing a comprehensive global perspective. "Unlike previous research, which mainly focused on the pink tax in consumer goods , this specifically examines gender-based price discrimination in online advertising , revealing a significant correlation between the digital marketing pink tax and a country's level of develop.
