Economic, moral, legal, ethical and cultural issues

Question 1

Impact of the Data Protection Act

Answer 1

The DPA impacts on data as organisations are
required to ensure:
- Data must be adequate, relevant and not excessive
- Data must be accurate and up to date
- Personal data stored for no longer than necessary
- Processed in line with your rights – individual can check and amend data
- Held securely
- Data can only be transferred outside Europe countries with adequate DPA
- Data is fairly and lawfully processed
- Data is processed for limited purposes.

Question 2

Computer Misuse Act

Answer 2

The Computer Misuse Act deters:
- accessing computer material without permission
- altering computer data without permission

e.g. writing a virus to destroy someone else’s data, or actually changing the money in an account.

Three main principles:
- Unauthorised access to computer material, data or programs
- Unauthorised access with intent to commit or facilitate commission of further offences
- Unauthorised modification of computer material

Question 3

Freedom of Information Act

Answer 3

Freedom of Information Act, Two main principles:
- Public authorities are obliged to publish certain information about their activities
- Members of the public are entitled to request information from public authorities.

Question 4

Copyright Designs and Patents Act

Answer 4

Copyright Designs and Patents Act, Offences:
- Copy the work, e.g. burning another copy of windows to give to a friend
- Rent, lend or issue copies of work to the public e.g. making your music collection available to listen free online.
- Adapt the work in regards to take an existing piece of software, add to it and sell it

Question 5

Effect on Employment by computers

Answer 5

Advantages
- new jobs have been created
- speed up repetitive boring parts of jobs
- cheaper to run

Disadvantages
- some jobs have disappeared
- people do not know how to use computer systems
- can be expensive to install
- learning new systems can take long and can be expensive to trains staff

Question 6

Effect on Employment by telecommunication

Answer 6

Advantages
- save money on office space, heating and lighting costs
- weather does not effect ability to do jobs
- less time wasted on travelling

Disadvantages
- Purchase and distribution of equipment initially can be expensive even though costs are saved later
- Networking costs can be higher as connection must be maintained
- Security can be difficult to implement
- Equipment needs to maintained and repaired but is no longer in a centralised location
- staff can be distracted and become less productive
- staff may require extra pay for increased responsibility

Question 7

Effect of computer on Environment

Answer 7

Positives
- can replace paper, saving trees and paper
- files and music can be sent through network rather then being shipped

Drawbacks
- made up of rare materials that need to be mined
- often made of toxic chemicals that may not be disposed properly
- use electricity from burning fossil fuels
- manufacture requires energy which comes from fossil fuels

Question 8

Effects of Unrestricted access to the internet

Answer 8

Positives
- People can share and access information that would be very difficult for them to obtain without the internet.
- People can spread news of atrocities and corruption very quickly, ultimately helping to bring those responsible to justice

Drawbacks
- easy for governments to monitor millions of citizens
- easy to distribute false information or unconfirmed rumours
- People can access vast amounts of illegal information such as extreme pornography and other illegal websites.