CS 1.5 Legal Moral Cultural Ethical Issues

What does the Data Protection Act (DPA) protect, and who is exempt from it?

It protects personal data from being misused; exemptions include domestic purposes (e.g. personal photos), law enforcement investigating a crime, and intelligence services processing (e.g. MI5)

State the Data Protection Principle: "personal data must be fairly and lawfully processed"

Companies must be clear about what personal data they collect and what they intend to use it for

State the Data Protection Principle relating to "specified and lawful purposes"

Personal data cannot be used for any purpose other than what was originally stated, and cannot be passed on to others without permission

State the Data Protection Principle relating to data being "adequate, relevant and not excessive"

A company cannot request or collect personal data that it does not actually need

State the Data Protection Principle relating to data being kept "accurate and up to date"

If personal data held is wrong or out of date, the individual has the right to have it corrected or deleted

State the Data Protection Principle relating to retention ("not kept for longer than necessary")

A company must delete personal data once it no longer has a genuine need for it

State the Data Protection Principle relating to being "held securely"

A company must ensure personal data is kept secure (e.g. protected logins) and backed up to prevent accidental loss

What must a company do if they receive a Subject Access Request (SAR)?

Send a copy of the subject's data securely, after first verifying the identity of the person making the request

Name two rights an individual has under the Data Protection Act

Any two of: to be informed about the collection/use of their data, to access their personal data, to have inaccurate data corrected, to be forgotten in certain circumstances, to object to processing, to withdraw consent, to complain to the Information Commissioner

What is the purpose of the Computer Misuse Act (CMA) 1990?

To make malicious/unauthorised use of computers (such as hacking) illegal, covering unauthorised access and modification of computer systems and data

What is the first primary offence under the Computer Misuse Act?

Unauthorised access to computer material, e.g. finding out someone's password and using it to access their files

What is the second primary offence under the Computer Misuse Act?

Unauthorised access to a computer with intent to commit a further offence, e.g. accessing someone's account intending to change data for personal benefit

What is the third primary offence under the Computer Misuse Act?

Unauthorised modification of computer material, e.g. actually changing data (such as altering a test result) after gaining unauthorised access

What is the purpose of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act (CDPA) 1988?

To protect the intellectual property of individuals/companies, making it illegal to copy, modify, or distribute their original work (software, music, video, etc.) without permission

When does copyright protection under the CDPA apply, and how long does it last?

It is applied automatically as soon as original work is created, and typically lasts between 25 and 70 years from the death of the creator, depending on the type of work

Give one example of a primary breach of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act

Any one of: copying original work, issuing a copy to the public, renting/lending a copy to the public, performing/showing the work in public, making an adaptation of the work

What is the purpose of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000?

It legislates how public bodies/organisations can monitor, investigate, and intercept electronic communications, e.g. for national security or law enforcement purposes

What must ISPs and mobile phone companies do under RIPA, if requested by an authorised authority?

Provide information/access to a customer's communications, and ensure their networks have the hardware/software installed to facilitate surveillance

*Why has RIPA been considered controversial by some?

Because its powers extend even to small agencies like local councils, and there have been examples of it being used for reasons unrelated to serious crime or terrorism (e.g. investigating minor issues like dog walking or school catchment areas), raising concerns about invasion of privacy and misuse

Give two moral/ethical impacts of artificial intelligence on end users

Any two of: bias in AI algorithms trained on biased data, concerns over data privacy, over-reliance on automated decisions, lack of transparency in how AI reaches conclusions

Give one social impact of AI on the workforce

AI-driven automation can displace jobs traditionally done by humans, though it can also create new roles requiring different skills

What is algorithmic bias, in the context of AI ethics?

When an AI system produces unfair or skewed outcomes because it was trained on biased or unrepresentative data, potentially reinforcing existing societal inequalities

Give one moral argument for internet censorship, and one moral argument against it

For: protecting vulnerable communities from harmful content. Against: it restricts freedom of expression and access to information

What social implication can result from internet censorship?

It can widen the digital divide and restrict access to information, potentially disadvantaging certain groups who rely on open internet access for education or opportunity

Give one legitimate reason for monitoring behaviour (e.g. CCTV, digital surveillance)

Any one of: security and crime prevention, public safety and deterrence, investigative purposes, emergency response and location tracking, employee monitoring for productivity/safety

Give one moral concern raised by monitoring behaviour

Any one of: respect for individual privacy, individual autonomy being undermined, questions over the intent/justification behind the monitoring

What ethical safeguard is important when an organisation collects and analyses personal information?

Data minimisation and purpose limitation — only collecting the data genuinely needed, and only using it for the stated purpose it was collected for (linking to Data Protection Act principles)

What moral issue is raised by online piracy (e.g. illegally downloading copyrighted films/music)?

It prevents the original creator/copyright holder from earning income from their work, which they are legally and morally entitled to

*How did the music industry attempt to address piracy through legitimate alternatives (e.g. iTunes/Spotify)?

By creating services that were easy to use and reasonably priced, addressing the argument that piracy was often driven by lack of convenient legal access rather than price alone, and providing payment to artists/rights-holders that piracy would have denied them

What is an offensive communication, in a legal/ethical context?

Content (e.g. messages, images) sent with the intent to cause distress, harassment, or offence to the recipient, which can be a criminal offence depending on jurisdiction and severity

Why must developers consider different character sets when designing software for a global audience?

Different languages use different character sets (e.g. accented characters, non-Latin scripts); using a standard like Unicode ensures text from different languages is displayed correctly and applications can be localised for different regions

Why does reading direction matter in UX/interface design?

Some languages (e.g. English) read left to right, while others (e.g. Arabic, Hebrew) read right to left; interfaces must support bi-directional text and adjust layout (text alignment, navigation, buttons) to remain usable across cultures

*Give an example of how colour interpretation differs between cultures, and why this matters for design

Red is often associated with danger in Western cultures but signifies luck in Chinese culture; developers must be mindful of these differences, as inappropriate colour choices could cause misunderstanding or offence to users in different regions

Give one moral issue raised by increased computer use in the workforce

Data privacy — personal data collected by workplace systems can be used in ways employees did not anticipate or consent to

Give one social issue raised by increased computer use in the workforce

The digital divide — unequal access to technology and digital skills can create inequality in employment and economic opportunity

Give one ethical issue raised by increased computer use in the workforce

Automation and job displacement — as tasks become automated, workers may lose their livelihoods, raising concerns about responsibility and support for those affected

What is automated decision making?

The use of algorithms and computer systems to make decisions (e.g. approvals, diagnoses, recommendations) based on data analysis and predefined rules, without direct human intervention

Give one real-world application of automated decision making

Any one of: credit scoring/loan approval, medical diagnosis/treatment recommendations, fraud detection, recommendation systems, recruitment/hiring, automated trading, predictive maintenance

Give one moral concern with automated decision making

Fairness and bias — algorithms can inherit or amplify biases present in their training data, leading to unfair outcomes for certain groups (e.g. in hiring or loan approval)

Give one ethical concern with automated decision making relating to consent and privacy

Informed consent — individuals may not fully understand or consent to how their data is being used to make automated decisions about them, and extensive personal data may be collected for this purpose

*Why is algorithmic transparency important in automated decision making?

So that decisions affecting individuals (e.g. being denied a loan or a job) can be understood, explained, and challenged, rather than being an unaccountable "black box" — this supports fairness and the ability to identify and correct bias

What is e-waste, and why is it an environmental concern?

Electronic waste from discarded computer hardware and devices; it can contain hazardous materials and contributes to environmental pollution if not disposed of or recycled responsibly

Give one social justice concern related to e-waste

E-waste is often exported to and processed in developing countries with weaker environmental/labour protections, disproportionately affecting workers and communities there — an issue of environmental equity

What is the digital divide, in the context of environmental and social impact?

The gap between those who have access to computing technology and the internet, and those who do not, which can limit opportunities for education, employment, and participation in society