OCR GCSE Computer Science: 1.6 - Ethical, legal, cultural and environmental impacts of digital technology

Specification: https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/558027-specification-gcse-computer-science-j277.pdf

Define ethical issues

ethical issues: about what would be considered right and wrong by society

Define legal issues

legal issues: about what’s actually right and wrong in the eyes of the law

Define cultural issues

cultural issues: about how groups of people (ethnic groups, religions countries) with particular beliefs, practices or languages may be affected

Define environmental issues

environmental issues: about how we impact the natural world

List five groups of people that could be affected by the actions of a technology company

can affect:

• the owners

• its employees

• the shop that sells the company’s products

• customers

• company’s hardware supplier

• local community

Give two reasons why someone might give their personal details to a website

• to set up an account:

  • social media

  • banking and retail

Give two problems with many online companies’ privacy agreements

• very few people read these so users are unaware as to what they’re agreeing to

• if users do read the privacy agreements, they often have no choice but to accept in order to use the software or website at all

What can you do to make the information you share online more private?

change privacy settings on social media sites

• websites often have fairly relaxed privacy settings by default

Explain the difference between censorship and surveillance

• internet censorship is when someone tries to control what other people can access on the internet

• computer surveillance is when someone monitors what other people are accessing on the internet

Give one argument for and one against internet censorship

for:

• protection of children against gambling / pornography / etc

against:

• violates freedom of speech

• gives authority to one group of people

• limits proportional opportunities

• expensive

Give one argument for and one against governments carrying out internet surveillance

for:

• looking out for certain words/phrases that might alert them to illegal activities, terrorism etc

against:

• poses a threat to privacy

Give four examples of how new technology may affect social well-being

• increased peer pressure

• smartphones make it easier for people’s work to intrude into other areas of life

• face-to-face social interaction can be neglected

• influence people to splurge and upgrade to the latest device

What is cyberbullying?

cyberbullying: when someone uses social media to deliberately harm someone else (to intimidate, insult, humiliate, defame etc)

What is an internet troll?

trolling: when someone tries to cause public arguments with others online mainly for their own amusement or to seek attention

Give two reasons why cyberbullying and trolling have become so common

• anonymity: people say things online they wouldn’t say face-to-face

• ignorance of the consequences: bullies don’t see the victims reactions so may not realise the damage they’re doing

What is sexting and why is it dangerous?

• sexting: sending sexually explicit messages or images to other people

• can be dangerous as the person receiving the material may not be trustworthy

Give three examples of health issues caused by computer usage

• eyestrain

• Repetitive Strain Injury (parts of the body damaged as a result of repeated movements over a long period of time)

• back problems as a result of poor posture

Give three examples of how technology and internet have shaped culture

• selfies have become trending

• surge of new and viral vocab/slang

  • social media and blogging websites allow people to publish media

Give three reasons as to why a digital divide exists

• some people have insufficient funds for access to tech

• urban areas have greater network coverage than rural areas

• some people don’t know how to operate new tech

Give three examples of natural resources used to manufacture technology

• plastics

• ores and precious metals

• natural gas released

Explain how a device’s need for energy impacts the environment

energy is released using non-renewable fuels like coal, oil and gas

Give three ways to reduce the amounts of energy devices waste

• don’t leave devices on standby

• multiple virtual servers can run on one physical server so it can run at full capacity

• most devices have sleep modes to reduce energy consumption when idle

What is e-waste and why do we generate lots of it?

e-waste: electronic waste

• people are influenced into always purchase newer models

• devices have a short life: companies make devices out of faulty or poor quality materials so customers feel the need to repurchase

• toxic chemicals damage the environment around exploited areas

Describe an environmental danger caused by e-waste left in landfill sites

toxic chemicals can leak into the ground water and harm wildlife

What are the six principles of the Data Protection Act 2018?

• data must only be used in a fair, lawful and transparent way

• data must only be used for the specified purpose

• data must be accurate and kept up to date

• data must not be kept longer than necessary

• data must be kept safe and secure

What is intellectual property?

intellectual property: anything someone has created

• e.g. a novel, song, software, inventions

Why do we use copyright?

covers written or recorded content - prevention against plagiarism

• e.g. books, music, films, software, video games

Give three things that the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988 makes illegal

• share copyrighted files without the copyright holder’s permission

• use unlicensed software

• plagiarise someone else’s work

State the three new offences introduced by the Computer Misuse Act 1990

• gaining unauthorised access to a private network or device through hacking

• gaining unauthorised access to a private network or device to commit a crime

• unauthorised modification of computer material

What is a software license?

software license: an agreement that allows one or more individuals to legally use a piece of software

Which type of software license does not allow access to its source code?

proprietary software

State the pros and cons of open-source software

pros:

• usually free

• made for greater good (provide a service not for profit)

• can be adapted by users to fit their needs

• popular software is reliable and secure

cons:

• small projects may not get regular updates

• limited user documentation

• no warranties

• limited customer support

State the pros and cons of proprietary software

pros:

• comes with warranties, documentation and customer support

• well-tested and reliable as they are tested and updated regularly

• cheaper for companies than developing their own custom-built software

cons:

• expensive

• cannot be adapted to fit user’s needs as source code is hidden

• companies may not adapt older software after warranties expire