Ethical, Legal, Cultural & Environmental Impact Flashcards

All 15 cards in this deck

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.

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 e-waste?

Electronic waste — devices and components thrown away when they are replaced, often containing toxic materials that are hard to recycle.

True or false? The digital divide is an environmental issue.

False. It is a cultural issue — environmental issues are about energy use, raw materials, e-waste and recycling.

What are the steps to answer an 8-mark question discussing the impact of a company's decision?

e.g. a phone company makes cheaper phones that need replacing more often

1. Benefit and drawback for the company: more sales and profit, but reputation may fall.
2. Benefit and drawback for the customers: cheaper to buy, but less reliable and more time/cost replacing them.
3. Cover each issue asked for and conclude: e.g. ethical (are customers told?) and environmental (more e-waste), then give a supported judgement.

Which piece of legislation must a company follow when it stores personal data about its users?

The Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA / GDPR).

State three actions an organisation must take to comply with the Data Protection Act 2018.

Keep the data secure from unauthorised access; only collect and keep data that is relevant, and not for longer than needed; only use it for the purpose it was collected for.

What does the Computer Misuse Act 1990 make illegal?

Gaining unauthorised access to data or programs on a computer (hacking), especially to commit a further offence or to modify data.

Which Act is broken by copying and sharing software, music or films without the owner's permission?

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

What is a software licence, and why do programmers use one?

A legal agreement between the publisher and end user stating what the user may and may not do with the code; it protects the programmer's intellectual property.

True or false? Open source software is not protected by copyright.

False. Open source software still has copyright — both open source and proprietary licences provide copyright; the open source licence just allows users to access, change and redistribute the source code.

What is meant by an ethical issue in computing?

A moral concern about the use of computers, such as whether something is right or fair for the people affected.
e.g. keeping the public safe, protecting data from unauthorised access

Give one ethical issue raised by driverless cars.

Their safety for passengers, other drivers and pedestrians (and who is responsible if there is a crash).

Which licence type would you recommend for a company that wants to earn money from its program and keep control of it, and why?

Proprietary — it allows the programmer to earn money, gives more control over what happens with the program, and it is usually well tested.

Which licence type would you recommend for a developer who wants their program used by as many people as possible and improved by users, and why?

Open source — it is usually free so more people can access it (wider customer base and exposure), and users can alter it to fix bugs or improve it.