Ethical, legal and environmental impact

Legislation law

government is responsible to creating and updating laws to encourage appropriate use of computers

Rights of customers shopping online

• Consumer Contracts Regulation 2013

• traders must provide full descriptions of products sold

• all costs must be made available e.g delivery and return charges

• right to cancel order and receive full refund (physical products only) for 14 days

Protecting data online

• Data Protection Act 1998

• controls how information can be used, protecting rights on owners

• organisations that don’t comply can be prosecuted

• not shared between companies without prior permission

Principles of Data Protection Act

1. processed fairly and lawfully with consent of data subject

2. used only for purpose specified to information commissioner

3. be adequate and relevant to intended purpose

4. accurate and up to date

5. not kept for longer than necessary

6. processed in accordance with rights of subject

7. held safely and securely

8. not transferred outside European union without proper protection

Data subject

individual who is subject of personal data

Information comissioner

government regulator responsible for enforcing Act, promoting good practice and making public aware

Data controller

person within organisation responsible for processing personal data

Property rights of original ideas

• Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988

• protects those that create and produce their own material (intellectual property)

• illegal to copy, download or distribute software without permission/ licence

• organisation must have licence to cover number of users and monitor who has access

• requires policies to ensure awareness of Act and consequences of breaching

Software licence

document providing legally binding guidance for use and distribution of software

FACT

Federation against Copyright Theft, protecting illegal use of software

Preventing misuse of computer systems

• Computer Misuse Act 1990

• illegal to hack computer to plant viruses or malicious software

• not allowed to gain unauthorised access to change passwords, settings or modify data

Examples of computer misuse

• Hacking/stealing usernames and passwords

• websites promoting violence and negative behaviour

• personal use of internet in workplace e.g booking holidays

Software piracy

illegally downloading copyright materials from the internet

Plagerism

copy and paste materials and signing it of as their own work

Ways personal data is collected without us being aware

• loyalty cards from supermarkets give data on our shopping habits, used for marketing

• CCTV cameras monitor our activity in cities/ shopping centres

• mobile phones transmit location, monitoring movement during phone calls

• analysing debit or credit card transactions which can be sold to direct advertising

Social media

subscribing to websites such as Instagram, connecting with others to share videos or messages

Misusing social media

• searching profile pages to gain access to personal information e.g address

• communicating racial or religious hatred/ discrimination

• fake accounts to steal someone identity for crimes

GPS (global positioning system)

provides real time information such as geographical locations using satellites

Positives of GPS

• individuals who need to be monitored through tracking devices e.g vulnerable patients

• tracking buses or taxis to make customers aware of arrival and departure times or employee acitivty

Issues with GPS systems

• when making calls data about location can be tracked and infringe their rights to privacy

• confusion over who owns data, people/ companies/ government satellites

Laws in other countries

laws vary so data may be processed in countries with less strict laws, impacting security