India, Aug. 5 -- BMW owners are seeing red - literally and figuratively - as the automaker has started playing ads for the new Spider-Man movie on its in-car infotainment screens. The full-screen animation, displayed on BMW's main Control Display, has sparked criticism that the German automaker is turning private cars into advertising space - without giving drivers the option to opt out.

The Spider-Man ads are playing on BMW dashboards despite the fact that just three years ago, BMW executives said the inside of a car was "a private space" and not a place for advertising, Autoweek reported.

The dashboard ads have sparked massive criticism against the German automaker, while raising concerns about other companies treating in-car consoles...