Ethical, Legal, Cultural And Environmental Impacts Of Digital Technology

Question 1

Legal issues

Answer 1

A legal issue is a problem or dispute concerning the interpretation, application, or violation of laws.
Examples of legal issues in computing are:
Copyright - The use of other peoples content without permission
Cybersecurity - Protecting against hackings, data breaches and all other cybercrimes
Data protection - Responsible collection, storing and use of personal information

Question 2

Ethical issues

Answer 2

An ethical issue is a situation that raises questions about what is right and wrong.
As technology advances and laws are slow to keep up, ethical issues are more prevalent.
Ethical issues call in a persons own morals and values as there is often a lack of an easy answer and decisions can have consequences for yourself and others.

Question 3

Ethical issues (digital divide)

Answer 3

The increasing reliance on computers increases the digital divide, creating inequality between those who have access to technology and those who do not.
This can hinder opportunities for education, employment, and economic advancement for disadvantaged groups.

Question 4

Ethical issues (algorithm bias)

Answer 4

Using algorithms in decision-making can unintentionally promote unfair biases, leading to discriminatory outcomes in areas such as:
Job seekers - Factors unrelated to qualifications such as post code or social media activity.
Loans - Denying lending to minority groups.
Criminal justice - Racial profiling, harsher sentences for certain groups.

Question 5

Ethical issues (intellectual property)

Answer 5

The ease of digital copying and distribution raises ethical questions about protecting intellectual property rights and fair compensation for creators.
Digital piracy can lead to significant revenue loss for creators. When consumers access pirated content instead of purchasing it legally, creators are deprived of the revenues they deserve.

Question 6

Ethical issues (Automation)

Answer 6

The automation of tasks through computers raises ethical concerns about job losses and the potential loss of livelihood for workers.

Question 7

Cultural issues

Answer 7

A cultural issue is an issue that relates to the impact of technology on the nature and culture of society.
Advances in technology have changed the way people lead their lives, in areas such as: Online shopping, On-demand content/streaming, Navigation (Sat Nav), Gaming, Social media, Remote working.

Question 8

Cultural issues (Digital divide)

Answer 8

An inequality in the access, use, education and confidence in new technologies exists.
Access to technology is limited by geography, some countries have limited/no access to the internet.
Use of technology can be limited by cost, the ability to purchases the latest technology is both a national and international issue, as more wealth means more access.
A lack of education in technology can limit employment, many employers now require good ICT skills.
Confidence to use new technologies can also widen the divide, older generations, lacking the confidence of growing up with technology like social media, can feel intimidated and excluded, while younger generations readily accept it.

Question 9

Cultural issues (landscape employment)

Answer 9

Positive - Work-life balance - increased flexibility gives employees the ability to manage their personal and professional lives.
Global collaboration - working remotely increases opportunities to work with colleagues and clients across the world.
Diversity & Inclusion - remote working can remove barriers caused by geography and lead to job opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds.

Negative - Social isolation - working remotely can lead to a lack of social interaction and increase isolation.
Communication - remote working can sometimes make communication a challenge, this can impact on team dynamics and efficiency.
Boundaries - increased flexibility and freedom can blur the boundaries of work and personal time, which can lead to a mismanagement of time and/or burnout.

Question 10

Cultural issues (Censorship)

Answer 10

Restricting access to online content based on different beliefs of what is acceptable or harmful can lead to social unrest.
Censorship can be used to preserve cultural identify and tradition, but can also stifle cultural expression and diversity.

Question 11

Environmental issues

Answer 11

An environmental issue is an issue caused by manufacturing and use of computers that has a negative impact on the environment.
As technology becomes a bigger part of everyday life, the number of devices being manufactured increases.

Question 12

Environmental issues examples

Answer 12

A great amount of natural resources (metals/plastic) are used during the manufacturing and distribution of components.
An increase in demand for 24/7 access to resources such as web servers and data centres means an increase in the energy needed to maintain them.
As consumption of technology increases and competition in the market expands, the rapid disposal of devices becomes a problem.
Pollution caused by the production, distribution and disposal of technology gets higher.
The volume of waste in landfill causes environmental contamination.

Question 13

Privacy issues

Answer 13

A privacy issue is an issue that comes from collecting, accessing or using personal information without consent or control.
Who controls the data and how it is used raises crucial questions as technology becomes a bigger part of every day life.

Question 14

Privacy issues (face recognistion)

Answer 14

The increase in cameras and advances in technology means face recognition is possible, whilst this can mean an advantage in crime prevention/detection, people are concerned about privacy.
Privacy concerns include, what else is being watched? and who is watching?

Question 15

Privacy issues (GPS)

Answer 15

GPS is built in to most smart phones and brings with it a number of features that many see as a benefit, ‘find my phone’ for when it gets lost/stolen, location tagging in photos and for navigation software.
Some users are concerned with where this data is kept? ,who might have access to it? and is it being used for any other purposes?

Question 16

Privacy issues (internet monitoring)

Answer 16

Most schools and businesses use monitoring software to track their students’ and employees’ internet activity.
Social media companies also employ similar tools to detect and remove illegal or harmful content like hate speech, misinformation, or violent threats.
Arguments for, these measures promote responsible online behaviour and prevent cyberbullying.
Arguments against, concerns about limitations to free speech, potential abuse by authorities who control the monitoring systems, and biased algorithms leading to censorship.

Question 17

Data protection act 2018

Answer 17

The Data Protection Act (DPA) is a law that protects personal data from being misused.
Examples of personal data would include: Name, Address, Date of Birth, Race, Religion.
Most people that store personal data has to follow the Data Protection Principles although there are a few exemptions.

Question 18

Exemptions of DPA

Answer 18

Domestic purposes – if you only use personal data for such things as writing to friends and family or taking pictures for your own enjoyment, you are not subject to the DPA.
Law enforcement – the Police investigating a crime is not subject to the DPA. E.g. if someone has been suspected of a crime they can’t request to see the evidence about them.
Intelligence services processing – personal data processed by the intelligence services (e.g. MI5) is not covered by the DPA.

Question 19

Data protection principles

Answer 19

Personal data must be fairly and lawfully processed.
A company has to be clear about what personal data they wish to collect and what they want to use it for.
Personal data must be collected for specified and lawful purposes.
A company cannot use personal data for any purpose other than what they stated originally. They also cannot pass this data on without permission.
Personal data must be adequate, relevant and not excessive.
A company cannot request personal data that they do not need right away.
Personal data must be kept accurate and up to date.
If a company holds personal data that is wrong or out of date then you have a right to have it corrected or deleted.
Personal data will not be kept for longer than is necessary.
A company must delete personal data once they no longer have a need for it.
Personal data must be processed in line with people’s rights.
If requested a company must provide a customer with all the personal data they hold on them.

Question 20

Computer misuse act 1990

Answer 20

The Computer Misuse Act (CMA) concerns the malicious use of computers.
The act was originally created to make sure that computer hacking was covered within the law.
It has been updated regularly to ensure it remains relevant.
Firewalls can be used to prevent external people accessing the system. They are key in preventing DoS or DDos attacks.

Question 21

Primary offences under CMA

Answer 21

The Computer Misuse Act has 3 primary offences:
Unauthorised access to computer materials.
Unauthorised access with intent to commit further offences.
Unauthorised modification of computer files.
The consequences of each offence are worse depending on whether it’s offence 1, 2 or 3 with each offence being punishable with time in prison.

Question 22

Copyright Designs & Patents Act (1988)

Answer 22

This protects the intellectual property of an individual or a company.
It makes it illegal to copy, modify or distribute software or other intellectual property without the relevant permission.
If original work is original, copyright will be automatically applied and will not expire until 25 - 70 years from the death of the creator depending on the type of work.
If an individual believes that their work has been copied it is their responsibility to take action under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act.
Many sites online offer free downloads of copyrighted software/videos which prevents the intellectual copyright holder from earning their income on the work they have created.
E.g. If someone downloaded videos from Netflix and shared them with others, they would be breaching the act.
The act covers videos and audio where peer-to-peer streaming prevents a copyright owner from receiving an income.

Question 23

Primary breaches

Answer 23

Copying an original work.
Issuing the copy of the original work to the public.
Renting/lending the copy of the original work to the public.
Performing, showing or playing the original work in public.
Making an adaptation of the original work.

Question 24

Secondary breaches

Answer 24

Importing a copy of original work.
Possessing or dealing with a copy of the original work.
Providing means to make copies of the original work.
Permitting the use of premises for making copies of the original work.
Provision of props/equipment for a performance of a copy of the original work.

Question 25

Software licences

Answer 25

A software licence is a legal agreement that lays out rules for how software can and can’t be used.
There are two main types of software licence, each with very different rules on usage, distribution and support, they are, open source & proprietary.

Question 26

Open source software

Answer 26

Open source software is a model of software development which allows permitted use of its source code.
Open source projects are projects where the source code used to create the project is made publicly available.
Anyone can legally view, modify and distribute the source code.

Question 27

Proprietary software

Answer 27

Proprietary software is also known as closed source software.
The source code for proprietary software is not available to people outside of the organisation.
When buying proprietary software you do not own the software, but have only bought a license to use it.
Modifying, copying, or redistributing the software is illegal.

Question 28

Advantages and disadvantages of open source software

Answer 28

Advantages - Allows collaboration with other people who may want the same modifications
Less buggy versions of the software may appear faster
Usually free, good for companies with limited budgets
Generally strong social support

Disadvantages - Relies on support of other users
To edit the code, you need expert knowledge
May not receive regular updates
Could be more open to exploitation through users adding malicious code

Question 29

Advantages and disadvantages of proprietary software

Answer 29

Advantages - Generally free customer support
Created to professional standards
Always someone to go back to with any problems

Disadvantage - Cost can be significant
Limited expansion, only what is available
Relies on one company
May not fully meet the need of the user/customer

Question 30

Patents

Answer 30

Patents are legal protections over inventions. They cover ideas and concepts rather than intellectual property.
Patents can apply to both hardware and software and must be registered.