3 missions. Guess, learn, then check. Your place is saved.
The specification points and sources are listed under the lesson: see Sources.
Make a guess: Logging in with a friend's password just to look: is it a crime?
| Offence | Example |
|---|---|
| Unauthorised access to computer material | Logging in with someone else's password, even just to look |
| Unauthorised access with intent to commit a further crime | Logging in to someone's bank account to steal money |
| Unauthorised acts with intent to impair a computer or its data (or reckless about it) | Planting malware, deleting files, a denial of service attack |
| Principle | In plain words |
|---|---|
| Lawfulness, fairness and transparency | Have a legal reason; tell people what you collect and why |
| Purpose limitation | Use it only for the reason you gave |
| Data minimisation | Collect only what you need |
| Accuracy | Keep it correct and up to date |
| Storage limitation | Don't keep it longer than needed |
| Integrity and confidentiality (security) | Protect it from loss, theft and hacking |
| Accountability | Be able to show you follow the rules |
| You have the right to… | Example |
|---|---|
| Be told what is held and why | A privacy notice when you sign up |
| Get a copy (subject access request) | Usually free, answered within one month |
| Have it corrected | Fix a wrong address |
| Have it deleted, in some cases | Close an old account |
| Object to direct marketing | Stop sales emails |
Yes. Using someone's login without their permission is unauthorised access, an offence under the UK's Computer Misuse Act 1990 even if you only look. Laws like this, and data protection laws, exist because computers hold information people have a right to keep private.
Make a guess: A free app knows where you were all week. Who agreed to that?
| Technology | Benefit | Ethical, legal or privacy issue |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile phones | Maps, contact, payments anywhere | Constant location tracking; hard to switch off |
| Wearables and implants | Monitor health; pacemakers keep people alive | Sensitive health data could be hacked, shared or sold |
| Cloud storage | Files anywhere, automatic backup | Another company holds your data, possibly under another country's laws |
| Wireless networks | Easy connection | Data sent on open, password-free networks can be intercepted; unsecured networks invite hacking |
| Autonomous vehicles | May cut crashes caused by human error | Who is responsible when one crashes: owner, maker or programmer? |
You did, usually by tapping "Allow" for location and accepting terms you probably didn't read. That is usually treated as consent, but whether it was really informed consent, and what the company may do with your data, are the big ethical and privacy questions.
Make a guess: Your old phone is in a drawer. Why does that matter to the planet?
| Stage | Environmental impact |
|---|---|
| Manufacture | Mining gold, copper and cobalt uses energy and water, damages land, can involve unsafe work |
| Use | Devices, networks and data centres need electricity |
| Replacement cycle | Frequent upgrades (new features, slow software, worn batteries) mean making more devices |
| Disposal | Old devices become e-waste |
Making a phone takes mined metals and a lot of energy. Left in a drawer, those materials are wasted while new phones need fresh mining; reusing or recycling it recovers them, and binning it adds to toxic e-waste.
You've worked through Ethical, legal and environmental impacts for AQA GCSE Computer Science (8525). 🎉
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Specification points and sources for this lesson are listed at the bottom of the page.
The specification points and sources behind this lesson.