8 - Ethical, legal, and environmental impacts of technology

Question 1

Name and describe 2 laws that regulate computer usage:

Answer 1

-Data Protection Act 2018 (controls how personal data is managed by corporations)

-Computer Misuse Act 1990 (criminal offence to make unauthorised access to computer material with malicious intent)

Question 2

Discuss the use of cyber security on networks:

Answer 2

-privacy is favoured, but may be compromised in order to protect people
-data could be lost/stolen without it
-illegal to hack under CMA 1990

Question 3

Describe some issues surrounding data privacy:

Answer 3

-people often value data privacy and don’t like it when government/security services have too much access
-the opposition argues that the citizens can’t be protected unless they have access to private data

Question 4

Explain the disadvantages of mobile/wearable/implanted technologies:

Answer 4

-data privacy issues of trackers in devices (however this is good for tracking criminal activity)

-in high demand (people are always upgrading)
-uses lots of precious metals

Question 5

Why are precious metals not a good thing in technology?

Answer 5

-expensive and polluting to mine
-needs careful recycling because they are toxic, not usually disposed of properly (harmful to people + environment they are disposed in)

Question 6

Describe the ethical and legal impacts of wireless networking:

Answer 6

-data security concerns (vulnerable to interception attacks, illegal under CMA 1990)
-attacks on wireless networks can cause widespread disruption (eg businesses can’t operate due to lack of internet access)

Question 7

Why is cloud storage a bad thing? Provide some environmental and legal issues:

Answer 7

-most data centres are in foreign countries where there are different laws about data protection and computer misuse (may be more vulnerable to cyber attack)

-data centres use lots of energy to store data, and are located near water sources (for cooling) which has a negative impact on the environment

Question 8

Discuss the negatives of autonomous vehicles:

Answer 8

-could be hacked
-data security concern (where does the vehicle monitoring data (eg location) go?)
-who is responsible in an accident, the AI system or the vehicle owner?
-lots of precious metals needed for the electronics

Question 9

Describe some advantages about the increased usage of technology:

Answer 9

-can work at home, reduced CO₂ emissions from travelling to workplace
-reduces need for paper as most things are online
-easier to share information
-improves/quickens scientific development and research of more technology, like simulating safer cars or medicine (calculations can be done faster)

Question 10

Name 4 computer-based implants that help people:

Answer 10

-hearing aids
-heart monitors/regulators (eg artificial pacemakers)
-assistive visual aids (eg microchips in retinas to get around macular degeneration)
-robotic prosthetic limbs