Ethical, Legal & Environmental Impacts Flashcards
All 32 cards in this deck
What is meant by an ethical issue in computing?
A moral concern about how computers are used: whether something is right or fair for the people affected, e.g. keeping the public safe or treating every user fairly.
Give one ethical issue raised by autonomous vehicles.
Any one of: whether they are safe for passengers, other road users and pedestrians; how the car's software should decide what to do when a crash can't be avoided; whether we can trust its decisions; drivers (e.g. taxi drivers) losing their jobs.
What is meant by the digital divide?
The gap between people who have access to digital technology and the internet and those who do not.
Give three causes of the digital divide.
Cost: some people can't afford devices or a broadband contract. Location: coverage in rural areas is often weaker than in towns and cities. Skills: some people were never shown how to use technology, so they lack confidence with it.
What is internet censorship?
Deliberately controlling or restricting what information people are able to access online.
Give two things the law requires an organisation to do with the personal data it stores.
Any two of: keep it secure from unauthorised access; only collect the data it needs; not keep it for longer than necessary; only use it for the purpose it was collected for; keep it accurate.
Is it legal to access someone else's computer system or data without permission, if nothing is changed?
No. Gaining unauthorised access to a computer system (hacking) is a crime in itself. Changing or deleting data, or spreading malware, are further crimes.
What is e-waste?
Electronic waste — devices and components thrown away when they are replaced, often containing toxic materials that are hard to recycle.
Give one environmental impact of a phone company making cheaper phones that need replacing more often.
More e-waste, because phones are thrown away sooner, and more raw materials and energy are used to make the replacements.
Why can discarded e-waste be a hazard?
Much of it is sent abroad to countries with weaker regulations and dumped in landfill, where toxic substances can seep into soil and water, harming wildlife and people.
Why is the electricity used by computers an environmental problem?
Much of it is generated by burning non-renewable fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas), which releases greenhouse gases.
Why do data centres use extra electricity on top of powering the servers?
Servers give off heat, so fans or air conditioning are needed to cool them.
Give two ways to reduce the electricity wasted by computers.
Any two of: use sleep or hibernate modes on idle devices; run several virtual servers on one physical server; switch off servers that aren't needed.
Give one environmental problem caused by extracting raw materials for devices.
Any one of: it uses a lot of energy; it causes pollution such as greenhouse gases; it uses up scarce, non-renewable resources.
What is a privacy issue in computing?
A concern about personal data being copied, transmitted or accessed without authorisation, e.g. tracking, data collection or surveillance.
What is internet surveillance?
Monitoring what people access and do online.
Give two examples of online surveillance.
Any two of: government agencies scanning traffic for words linked to crime or terrorism; ISPs keeping records of the sites customers visit; packet sniffers monitoring network traffic; parents or schools using monitoring software.
Why do many citizens object to governments and security services having access to their private data?
They value their privacy and don't want the state to have too much access: it could be misused, or used to monitor innocent people's messages and movements.
What argument do governments give for having access to citizens' private data?
That they cannot keep citizens safe from terrorism and other attacks unless they can access private data, such as people's communications.
Give one privacy risk of a mobile phone app tracking its user's location.
Any one of: it shows where the user lives, works and goes, and when their home is empty; it may be shared with or sold to advertisers without the user realising; if stolen, it could help criminals stalk or burgle them.
Why is the health data collected by wearable devices, such as fitness trackers, a privacy concern?
It is very personal. It could be shared with or sold to companies such as insurers or advertisers, or stolen in a hack, and users often don't know what is collected or who sees it.
Why is using an open (unsecured) public wireless network a privacy risk?
Data sent over it may not be encrypted, so other people within range could intercept it and read personal data such as passwords or messages.
Give one benefit of collecting health data with wearable devices.
Any one of: users can track their own health and set fitness goals; early signs of a health problem can be spotted and treated; large pools of data can help medical research.
Give one issue raised by computer-based implants, such as a pacemaker.
Any one of: the implant could be hacked, putting the person's health or life at risk; it may collect and send medical data the person can't control; it is costly, so not everyone who needs one can have one.
Why do autonomous vehicles raise a legal problem when they crash?
It is unclear who is liable: the person in the vehicle, the manufacturer or the software developer. Driving and insurance laws written for human drivers need updating.
Why can storing personal data with a cloud storage provider raise a legal issue about where it is kept?
The provider's servers may be in another country, where different data protection laws apply to the data.
Which legal question arises if data an organisation stores with a cloud provider is stolen?
Who is responsible for the breach: the organisation that collected the data or the cloud provider that stored it. The organisation still has a legal duty to keep personal data secure.
Give one ethical issue raised by mobile technologies such as smartphones.
Any one of: employers may expect staff to answer calls and emails at any hour, so work intrudes on home life and causes stress; people may spend less time talking face to face; constant messaging can make cyberbullying harder to escape.
Give two ways to reduce the amount of e-waste produced.
Any two of: repair devices and keep them for longer instead of upgrading; refurbish old devices so someone else can reuse them; recycle devices to recover their valuable metals; design products to last longer and be easy to repair.
Give one way digital technology can benefit the environment.
Any one of: video calls and working from home cut the need to travel, reducing emissions; digital documents and online forms reduce paper use; smart systems control heating and lighting to save energy.
Give one argument for internet censorship.
Any one of: it can stop children reaching harmful or unsuitable websites; it can block illegal content, or material that promotes crime or terrorism.
Give one argument against internet censorship.
Any one of: it limits people's freedom to find information and express views; a government could misuse it to hide criticism of itself or silence opponents; it is hard to agree who should decide what is blocked.