section 4 - issues

Question 1

Ethical issues

Answer 1

Ethical issues are about what would be considered right and wrong by society.

Question 2

Legal issues

Answer 2

Legal issues are about what’s right and wrong in the eyes of the law.

Question 3

Cultural issues

Answer 3

Cultural issues are about how groups of people with particular beliefs, - practices or languages may be affected, e.g. ethnic groups, religions, countries.

Question 4

Environmental issues

Answer 4

Environmental issues are about how we impact the natural world.

Question 5

affect of New technologies on Different Groups of People

Answer 5

As new digital technology becomes available, it can directly or indirectly affect many people.
2) E.g., the actions of a technology company can affect the owners, its employees, the shop that sells the company’s product, customers, the company’s hardware suppliers and the local community.
3) Each group of people that are affected have different priorities which may conflict with those of the others.
4) In the exam, you may be given a scenario and asked to discuss the ethical, legal, cultural, or environmental issues it raises for certain groups of people.

Question 6

personal privacy on the internet

Answer 6

1) Many websites (e.g., social media, banking and retail) require users to provide personal information in order to set up an account, e.g. date of birth and address.
2) Social media websites actively encourage you to post even more personal information, including photographs and details of your job and social life.
3) Companies may make your personal information, photos, etc. available to other website users or the whole Internet. They may also sell your personal details, buying habits, likes/dislikes etc. to other organisations (who might use it to send you targeted adverts or spam emails). Companies can do lots with your information as long as they stay within the bounds of the privacy agreement.
4) Users will accept a privacy agreement before using many websites and software. The trouble is that very few people actually read these so are unaware of what they’re agreeing to. Even if they do read the terms, users often have no choice but to agree if they want to use the website or software at all.
5) Users can take steps to make the information they share more private, e.g., change their privacy settings on social media sites. Websites often have fairly relaxed privacy settings by default. They also can have privacy settings that are hard to find and hard to understand.
6) Users have to trust companies to keep their data secure. But this doesn’t always happen there have been various high-profile cases where customer data held by large companies has been leaked or stolen.

Question 7

censorship

Answer 7

1) Internet censorship is when someone tries to control what other people can access on the Internet. Some countries’ governments use censorship to restrict access to certain information.
2) One of the strictest countries for censorship is China, where they restrict access to websites which are critical of the government. China also censors many major foreign websites, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. In Cuba, citizens can only access the Internet from government-controlled access points.
3) Many governments use some form of censorship. Many countries (including the UK) restrict access to pornography, gambling, and other inappropriate websites in order to protect children.

Question 8

surveillance

Answer 8

1) Computer surveillance is when someone monitors what other people are accessing on the Internet.
2) Many countries use some form of surveillance. Government intelligence agencies may use packet sniffers and other software to monitor internet traffic, looking out for certain key words or phrases that might alert them to illegal activities, terrorism, etc. In some countries Internet Service Providers (ISPs) keep records of all websites visited by all its customers for a certain amount of time.

Question 9

New technology’s impact our Social Well-being

Answer 9

1) Companies release new technology regularly and pay for advertisements to promote it. These techniques often try to influence and pressure people into buying or upgrading to the latest device.
2) Technology has also increased peer pressure - children feel pressure to own the latest device for fear of being bullied by their peers.
3) Smartphones make it easier for people’s work to intrude into other areas of life. Employees may be expected to carry a smartphone all the time, so that they can always be contacted - the smartphone may beep each time they get a work e-mail. This can be stressful for employees who feel they can never really switch off from work.
4) Face-to-face social interaction can be neglected as more of our social lives move online. This is made worse by having the Internet on mobile devices - it’s now almost possible to ignore real life completely.

Question 10

Cyberbullying

Answer 10

Cyberbullying is when somebody uses social media to deliberately harm someone else.
This includes trying to intimidate or insult someone or trying to humiliate or defame them (damage their reputation).
Cyberbullying can cause serious distress - people have been driven to suicide because of these attacks.

Question 11

Trolling

Answer 11

Trolling is when somebody tries to cause public arguments with others online.
For example, the troll may take part in a political discussion online, but only to make comments which would frustrate the other members of the discussion. Trolls normally do this for their own amusement or to gain attention.

Question 12

potential cause of cyberbullying and trolling

Answer 12

Problems like cyberbullying and trolling may be a result of the anonymity that the Internet gives people. They say things online that they wouldn’t say if talking to someone face-to-face.

Question 13

Sexting

Answer 13

Sexting (sending sexually explicit messages or images to other people) is more common as smartphones and video messaging applications have become more popular. Sexting can be dangerous as the person receiving the images might not be trustworthy -social media allows them to forward someone else’s images onto anyone they want. There are now laws which try to prevent this.

Question 14

Eyestrain

Answer 14

Eyestrain can be caused by looking at a device’s screen for too long. This is a particular problem if the device is used in bad lighting, the screen is flickering or there is sunlight glare on the screen.
Eyestrain can be prevented by using suitable lighting, keeping the screen a good distance away from your eyes and taking regular breaks from using your device.

Question 15

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)

Answer 15

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is when parts of the body (normally fingers and wrists) become damaged because of repeated movements over a long period time, such as typing on a keyboard.
RSI can be prevented by having a correct posture, arranging your desk appropriately and taking regular breaks.

Question 16

Back pains

Answer 16

Sitting at a computer too long can cause back problems. Back pains are normally caused by poor posture.
You can prevent back pains by using an adjustable chair, a foot rest and/or an adjustable monitor, and ensuring that you aren’t sitting at an awkward angle.

Question 17

Viral

Answer 17

Viral is a word used to describe videos, images or messages on the Internet which have rapidly spread over social media and have been seen by millions of people. Companies, politicians, celebrities, and charities all try to use images and videos in their promotional campaigns in the hope that they will go viral.

Question 18

Social media

Answer 18

Social media and blogging websites allow people to publish writing, art, or other media. This can give a voice to groups of people who might have been ignored by mainstream media.

Question 19

affect of new technology on the conduct of buisness

Answer 19

Music and television streaming services have allowed their customers to listen and watch media for less money, usually through a subscription service. But some people aren’t happy about it- e.g. musicians who feel streaming companies don’t pay them enough money to use their music.

Question 20

affect of new technology on the conduct of buisness - the sharing economy

Answer 20

The sharing economy is the name given to services which use new technology to let people make money from things they already own e.g., Uber lets you turn your car into a taxi service, and Airbnb uses the Internet to let you rent out a room in your house to tourists.

These services are cheap, but they draw customers away from taxi firms and hotel owners. Also, they may be riskier for sharers and customers. E.g., the sharer may not know the safety regulations they should follow and may find their insurance policy won’t cover them if there’s damage or theft.

Question 21

The digital divide

Answer 21

The digital divide is created by the fact that some people have greater access to technology than others. E.g. people can use the Internet to apply for jobs or university courses, access a range of services from banking to retail, and keep in touch with friends. People who have a limited access to the Internet are therefore at a heavy disadvantage.

Question 22

causes of the digital divide

Answer 22

-Some people don’t have enough money to buy new devices like smartphones and laptops, which can be very expensive.
-Urban areas are likely to have greater network coverage than rural areas.
-Some people don’t know how to use the Internet and other new technologies, and so are shut out of the opportunities they offer. This is a problem for many older people who haven’t grown up with computers and so have little experience with them.

Question 23

what creates the global divide

Answer 23

The global divide is created by the fact that the level of access to technology is different in different countries. People in richer countries tend to have greater access to technology than people in poorer countries. The Internet and other technologies have created lots of opportunities for the people with access to them, so this has increased the inequality between poorer and richer countries.

Question 24

methods of solving global and digital divide

Answer 24

Projects have been set up to combat the digital and global divides. There are several British community projects aimed at improving Internet coverage in rural areas. One Laptop Per Child is a charity which provides laptops to children in Africa, Central Asia and South America.

Question 25

environmental impact of making devices

Answer 25

1) Electronic devices contain lots of raw materials.
2) Plastics (which are used for casing and other parts) come from crude oil.
3) Devices also contain many precious metals like gold, silver, copper, mercury, palladium, platinum and indium. Many of these metals only occur naturally in tiny quantities.
4) Extracting these materials uses lots of energy, creates pollution and depletes scarce natural resources.

Question 26

environmental impact of using devices

Answer 26

1) Most electricity is made using non-renewable resources like coal, oil and gas. Extracting these resources and producing electricity in power stations causes lots of pollution including greenhouse gases.
2) All computers generate heat and require cooling. The powerful servers used by businesses and the Internet are very power hungry and require special air-conditioned rooms to keep them cool. That means using even more energy and more pollution.
3) Devices also waste a lot of energy. Servers normally only use a small proportion of their processing power. People often leave their desktops, laptops and smartphones idle. This means these devices are using a lot of energy without doing anything.

Question 27

how to reduce energy wasted by devices

Answer 27

Virtual servers are software-based servers rather than real machines. Multiple virtual servers can run on one physical server, so the physical server can run at full capacity.
Most modern devices include sleep and hibernation modes to reduce their power consumption when they are idle.
Don’t leave electronic devices (TVs, laptops, etc.) on standby.

Question 28

environmental impact of throwing away devices

Answer 28

1) E-waste is a huge problem - the world creates 20-50 million tonnes of e-waste every year. Modern devices have a very short life before they’re discarded - either because they break or because people want to upgrade.
2) Device manufacturers and retailers are part of this problem. They provide short warranties (e.g. 1 year), use marketing to convince people to upgrade and have pricing policies that make it cheaper to replace than to repair.
3) The Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive was created to tackle the e-waste problem. The WEEE has rules for disposing of e-waste safely, to promote reuse (e.g. refurbishing broken devices to use again) and recycling (e.g. extracting the devices’ precious metals).
4) To cut costs a lot of e-waste is sent to certain African and Asian countries where regulations are less strict. Here, most of it ends up in landfill and can be a hazard - toxic chemicals can leak into the ground water and harm wildlife.

Question 29

The Data Protection Act

Answer 29

1) The Data Protection Act 2018 gives rights to data subjects (people whose personal data is stored on computer systems). The Act has six principles, as shown here.
2) Before collecting personal data an organisation must register with the government, saying what data they’ll collect and how they’ll use it.
3) The Act gives data subjects the right to see, amend and delete the personal data an organisation holds about them.
4) There are exceptions to this, e.g., organisations don’t have to disclose any data that could affect national security, or the outcome of a court case.
5) Another important part of the Act is accountability. It is the responsibility of the organisation to make sure that they follow the rules - if not, they could face large fines.

Question 30

6 principles of the Data Protection Act

Answer 30

1) Data must only be used in a fair, lawful and transparent way.
2) Data must only be used for the specified purpose.
3) Data should be adequate, relevant and not excessive for the specified use.
4) Data must be accurate and kept up to date.
5) Data should not be kept longer than is necessary.
6) Data should be kept safe and secure.

Question 31

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

Answer 31

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 was introduced to protect intellectual property - anything someone has created, e.g., a novel, a song, piece of software, a new invention.

Question 32

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 - copyright

Answer 32

Copyright covers written or recorded content, e.g., books, music, films, software, video games.

The Act makes it illegal to share copyrighted files without the copyright holder’s permission, use unlicensed software or plagiarise (copy) somebody else’s work. Copyright holders can make money by granting permission to use the material for a fee.

Question 33

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 - patents

Answer 33

Patents cover new inventions - they protect ideas and concepts rather than actual content. E.g., a patent may protect a new method of charging smartphone batteries.

Question 34

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 - illegal file sharing

Answer 34

The Internet has made it harder to protect copyrighted content due to the ease of file sharing. It’s also difficult to enforce copyright if content is held on servers in countries with more relaxed copyright laws.

A lot of illegal file sharing takes place over peer-to-peer networks (p.37) using the BitTorrent® protocol to share files directly between devices. Cloud-based (p.43) file-hosting websites are also used copyrighted content is uploaded to the website where anyone with an account can download it.

Question 35

The Computer Misuse Act 1990

Answer 35

The Computer Misuse Act 1990 was introduced to stop hacking and cyber crime. It was at 3 different levels:

1) Gaining unauthorised access to a private network or device, e.g. through hacking (just accessing a network could get you a fine or prison sentence).

2) Gaining unauthorised access to a network or device in order to commit a crime, like stealing data or destroying the network.

3) Unauthorised modification of computer material - e.g. deleting or changing files. The Act also makes it illegal to make, supply or obtain malware.

Question 36

Open-source software

Answer 36

1) Open-source software is software where the source code is made freely available. Users may legally modify the source code to create their own spin-off software, which can be shared under the same licence and terms as the original software.
2) Well-known examples include Apache HTTP server (runs web servers), GIMP (image editing), Mozilla Firefox® (web browser), and VLC media player.
3) Linux® is a hugely successful open-source OS released in 1991. Hundreds of Linux®-based OSS have been developed and shared over the years. The most popular include UBUNTU, Debian and Android™
4) Popular open-source software is always supported by a strong online community (forums of users sharing ideas and solving problems). Users actively help to improve software - anyone can play with the source code and suggest bug fixes and improvements to the original developers.

Question 37

Advantages of Open-Source Software

Answer 37

• It is (usually) free.
• Made for the greater good, not profit - it benefits everyone, encourages collaboration, sharing of ideas.
• Software can be adapted by users to fit their needs.
• Wide pool of collaborators can be more creative and innovative than the programmers of one company.
• Popular software is very reliable and secure- problems are quickly solved by the community.

Question 38

Disadvantages of Open-Source Software

Answer 38

• Small projects may not get regular updates and could be buggy or have unpatched security holes.
• There may be limited user documentation.
• No warranties if something goes wrong.
• No customer support (although community forums will often make up for this).
• Companies using open-source code to make custom software may not want competitors to see their source code, but they have no choice.

Question 39

Proprietary Software / Closed Source Software

Answer 39

1) Proprietary software is software, usually paid for, where only the compiled code is released. The source code is usually a closely guarded secret. Proprietary software licenses restrict the modification, copying and redistribution of the software.
2) Businesses often use proprietary software instead of open source as it tends to have better customer support options. Companies producing proprietary software include Microsoft® (Office®, Windows®, Outlook®, etc.) and Adobe® (Photoshop®, Illustrator®, etc.).

Question 40

Advantages of Proprietary Software

Answer 40

• Comes with warranties, documentation, and customer support.
• Should be well-tested and reliable as the company’s reputation depends on this. Fixes and updates will come regularly (open source will vary more).

Question 41

disadvantages of Proprietary Software

Answer 41

• Can be expensive.
• Software may not exactly fit a user’s needs, and they can’t do anything about it.
• Software companies may not maintain older software after warranties expire - they’ll want people to buy their latest product.