Section 9 Legal, Moral, Ethical And Cultural Issues Flashcards
The Data Protection Act 1998
● Applies to information stored both on computers and in organised paper filing
systems
● Covers personal data
○ Any data which can be used to identify a living person
○ And data which can be used in combination with other data to identify a living
person
● An individual who can be identified by personal data is called a data subject
The Act gives data subjects certain rights
● The right to request a copy of the data held about them
● The right to correct the data held about them
● The right to prevent marketing using contact details provided by the data subject
● As of 2018, The Act has been replaced
The Computer Misuse Act 1990
● Concerns the malicious use of computers
● Originally created to ensure that computer hacking was covered by law
● Gas since been frequently updated
● Three primary offences:
1. Unauthorised access to computer materials.
2. Unauthorised access with intent to commit further offences.
3. Unauthorised modification of computer material.
The Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988
● Brought in to protect people’s property online
● Covers works like logos and music recordings
● Copyright automatically applies to original works
● Copyright doesn’t expire until 25-70 years after the death of the creator, depending
on the type of work
● The Act was extended in 1992 to include computer programs
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
● Covers investigation and surveillance by public bodies
● Enforces internet service providers and mobile phone companies to give up
information upon request from an authorised authority
● Ensures that ISP’s networks have sufficient hardware installed to facilitate
surveillance
● Particularly controversial as its powers extend to small agencies like local councils
● Some people feel that the Act is an invasion of privacy
● Some people feel that the Act is often improperly used
Computers in the Workforce
● Computers are used to increase efficiency and productivity in the workforce.
● Examples include reducing delivery times and shortening manufacturing processes.
● Higher productivity reduces unit labour costs meaning lower prices for consumers.
● Computerisation removes the need to work in a repetitive and tedious environment.
● However, it has contributed to rising structural unemployment.
○ Middle-income manufacturing jobs have been hit the hardest so there has
been a shift towards low-income service jobs.
● There has been a rise in the services being offered exclusively online.
○ Examples include online shopping and online banking services.
○ This has reduced costs of renting and cut labour costs for businesses.
Automated Decision Making
Used to decide what users should be displayed on their social media feeds.
● Automated decision-making is used in various application processes, sometimes
with life-changing consequences.
○ Examples include application processes for mortgages, loans and jobs.
○ Also used in power distribution systems.
● Relying entirely on these algorithms could result in people being treated unfairly.
● Automated decision-making in driverless cars allows for faster reactions to certain
scenarios. However, there are ethical considerations to make:
○ Who should be harmed if a scenario arises in which either a pedestrian or
the driver must be harmed?
○ Who is responsible for the consequences of this decision?
● Algorithms must be thoroughly tested to produce software which is free of bias.
Artificial Intelligence
The ability of a computer to replicate human intelligence.
● Used in expert systems which replicate the knowledge of an expert in a subject
○ Made up of a knowledge base which is interrogated to find diagnoses.
○ Used in medicine to draw links between illnesses and form diagnoses.
● Used in neural networks for pattern detection and identifying financial fraud.
● AI is used in voice recognition systems such as in smart home systems.
○ Provide convenience for people but raise concerns about privacy.
● AI raises questions about accountability:
○ Who is responsible when things go wrong?
○ What rights should sentient AI have?
Environmental Effects
● People throw away more devices than ever before as technology has become more
affordable and widely accessible.
● Computers components are toxic and can contaminate water supplies.
○ E-waste is sometimes shipped to third world countries with lower
environmental standards to be disposed which is considered immoral.
● Electricity to power our device requires using up fossil fuels which emit greenhouse
gases into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.
● Impact future generations and harm biodiversity.
● In parallel, there has been a growth in environmentally-friendly technologies.
○ Examples include smart home systems which use sensors to determine
when heating and lighting should be switched.
○ Devices offer ‘Sleep’ and ‘Stand-by’ features.
Censorship and the Internet
● The act of suppressing the content that people are able to view, publish and
access.
● ISPs block content associated with terrorism and extremist political beliefs.
● People worry that censorship may be misused to push a certain ideology.
● Some people believe in the idea of a ‘Free Internet’, where nothing is filtered at all.
● Censorship can exist on a smaller level, such as within a school or workplace.
● Censorship may be used to maintain productivity and prevent distractions.
Monitor Behaviour
● Computers are used to monitor people’s behaviour in various environments.
● Employers monitor productivity by tracking the websites workers are accessing.
● Surveillance systems, such as CCTV cameras, are used to detect crime.
● Ankle monitors are used to track people under house arrest.
● Some argue that this is unethical and contravenes basic human rights.
● Others argue that this is essential to put people off committing crime.
Analyse Personal Information
● Data can reveal key insights about people and their behaviours.
● Large amounts of data from a number of sources, called big data, can identify
connections between two variables in a process called data mining.
● Ethical concerns about whether companies have a responsibility to feedback trends
they uncover to the people involved.
● There is pressure on large firms to be more transparent about the data they collect.
Piracy and Offensive Communications
● The unauthorised copying of content, such as software or media and is a form of
theft, though the Internet has made it easy to source these types of content online.
● The Internet provides a seemingly anonymous front for offensive communication.
● Offensive communication includes online harassment, cyber-bullying or stalking.
● The Malicious Communications Act introduced in 1998 makes it a criminal offence
to send indecent or offensive messages to anyone online.
Layout
● Web developers must consider who will be viewing websites when designing them.
● The Equality Act introduced in 2010 makes it illegal to discriminate against
providing a service to a certain group of people.
● It must be easy for users to navigate between pages.
● Menus must be displayed on the appropriate side of the page depending on how
the language is read.
● People with visual impairments may need to enlarge text or alter the contrast.
Websites should provide alt text for images and provide a screen magnifier option.
● Transcripts of audio files should be provided for those with hearing impairments.
Colour Paradigms
● Web designers must consider how colours are interpreted around the world.
● Some colours are regarded as unlucky in certain cultures.
