Ethical, legal and environmental impacts flashcards

Students must understand how computing affects society across three main areas. Ethically, they should consider issues such as privacy, surveillance, data collection, artificial intelligence bias and the digital divide. Legally, they need to know the key laws that govern computing in the UK, particularly the Data Protection Act, Computer Misuse Act and Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, understanding what each law covers and why it exists. Environmentally, students should recognise the impact of manufacturing devices, energy consumption of data centres and servers, and the problems caused by electronic waste. Students should be able to apply these ideas to real-world scenarios, explaining both the benefits and drawbacks of technology for individuals, organisations and wider society. Understanding the tensions between these areas, for example between privacy and security, is also important.

1. Card 1

   What does the Data Protection Act 2018 require organisations to do?

   It requires organisations to store and handle personal data fairly, securely and only for its intended purpose, giving individuals rights over their own information.

2. Card 2

   What three offences does the Computer Misuse Act 1990 make illegal?

   Unauthorised access to a computer, unauthorised access with intent to commit further crimes, and unauthorised modification of computer material such as deleting files or spreading malware.

3. Card 3

   What does the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 protect?

   It protects intellectual property, meaning creators own their original work such as software, music or writing, and others cannot copy or distribute it without permission.

4. Card 4

   What is the digital divide?

   The digital divide is the gap between people who have reliable access to technology and the internet and those who do not, often linked to income, location or age.

5. Card 5

   Give two ethical concerns raised by artificial intelligence systems.

   Bias in decision-making if training data is unrepresentative, and lack of accountability when an AI causes harm, as it is unclear who is responsible.

6. Card 6

   Why do data centres have a significant environmental impact?

   Data centres consume enormous amounts of electricity to power and cool servers, contributing to carbon emissions, especially when that electricity comes from fossil fuels.

7. Card 7

   What is e-waste and why is it a problem?

   E-waste is discarded electronic equipment. It is harmful because devices contain toxic materials like lead and mercury that can pollute soil and water if not disposed of properly.

8. Card 8

   What is meant by privacy in a computing context?

   Privacy refers to an individual's right to control their personal information and to not have their data collected, shared or monitored without their knowledge or consent.

9. Card 9

   How does surveillance technology create a tension between privacy and security?

   Surveillance such as CCTV or internet monitoring can improve public safety, but it also risks invading privacy and enabling governments or companies to track individuals without consent.

10. Card 10

    What environmental impact does manufacturing computers and smartphones have?

    Manufacturing requires rare earth minerals mined at environmental cost, uses large amounts of energy and water, and produces pollution during the production process.

11. Card 11

    What is open source software and what is its ethical significance?

    Open source software has publicly available code that anyone can use, modify and share freely, raising ethical questions about credit, responsibility and commercial fairness.

12. Card 12

    Why might an employer monitoring employees' computer use raise ethical concerns?

    It may infringe on workers' privacy and create a culture of distrust, even though employers argue it protects against data breaches and ensures productivity.

• Students often confuse the Computer Misuse Act with the Data Protection Act, forgetting that the Computer Misuse Act is specifically about unauthorised access and hacking, not about how personal data is stored.
• Many students think environmental impact only refers to energy use, overlooking the significant harm caused by e-waste and the mining of rare earth minerals needed to manufacture devices.
• A common exam mistake is treating ethical and legal as the same thing; an action can be legal but still ethically questionable, such as a company legally collecting vast amounts of user data without being transparent about how it is used.

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