Volkswagen Ad Shocks Moviegoers, Is It A Wake Up Call Or Invasion Of Privacy?

Volkswagen recently decided to send a powerful message to moviegoers. Take a look at it for yourself and let us know – do you think the Volkswagen movie ad will serve as a real wake-up call:

[Video via YouTube/Mad Over Ads]

So, what do you think? Is this (for lack of a better term) public service announcement by Volkswagen enough to make cell phone users think twice about checking that text message when they’re behind the wheel?

As the advertisement informs the moviegoers, the use of mobile devices is now the number one cause of automobile-related deaths.

The fact that the moviegoers should have had their cell phones and mobile devices turned off during the movie anyway aside, kudos to Volkswagen for spending their advertising dollars sending a message that could save lives instead of just extolling the virtues of their latest automotive offerings.

More and more states are making it illegal to use a mobile device while operating a motor vehicle, as evidenced by this report in the Quad City Times and this one from WTOC out of Beaufort, South Carolina.

Of course, as cool as the public service announcement/advertisement is, it does raise some serious questions. First and foremost is this: How in the world did Volkswagen manage to get the cell phone numbers of everyone in the theater?

In a related article in the Inquisitr, a major cellular service provider recently went public with information regarding European, African and Asian governments accessing cell phone and mobile device users’ data and listening in on their calls without their knowledge – or even a legal warrant. In some countries, the governments are able to listen in on anyone’s mobile calls with just the flick of a switch.

So, we know that governments can and do access mobile device and cell phone users’ personal data – like their phone numbers – and that they are often able to do so without having to jump through any legal hoops at all, but is that privilege now afforded to corporations like Volkswagen as well? Can any major corporation request – and receive – that kind of information just by requesting it in Honk Kong? What about elsewhere?

While Volkswagen’s message is important – and will hopefully be well received – the fact that this kind of advertising exists should give anyone who uses a mobile device serious concerns regarding their privacy.

What do you think? Is this an important wake up call for cell phone and mobile device users, a serious invasion of privacy by Volkswagen or both?

[Image via Shutterstock]