Various Other Acts Flashcards
What is The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act? (2000)
This act makes it a criminal offence to monitor communications without lawful authority. Communications include telephone calls, emails, post, etc. Companies are allowed to.
What are the benefits of The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act? (2000)
Companies can monitor what there are employees are doing so can make sure they are working well and not revealing company secrets or wasting time.
What are the problems of The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act? (2000)
Any form of monitoring can be considered a breach of trust. Some people don’t agree with authority/companies being able to monitor communications.
What are the two main provisions of The Electronic Communications Act? (2000)
The government have set up a register of ‘approved cryptography suppliers’. Digital signatures are also now recognised.
What are the benefits of The Electronic Communications Act? (2000)
Contracts signed over the internet have the same legality as those signed by hand. E-commerce has therefore grown.
What are the problems of The Electronic Communications Act? (2000)
Not everything accepts digital signatures yet. It will take a while before that happens. Buying/selling a house and wills, for example.
What is The Freedom of Information Act? (2000)
Any body of any age is allowed to make a request to all public services requesting information being held on them. They have 20 days to comply. There may be a small postage fee.
What are the benefits of The Freedom of Information Act? (2000)
The main benefit is that information which was not accessible to the general public, now is.
What are the problems of The Freedom of Information Act? (2000)
You can ASK for anything but it doesn’t mean you will receive it. Some information might be withheld to protect various interests. The Public Authority doesn’t need to confirm if the information exists or not either.
