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Ethical, Legal, Cultural and Environmental Concerns

Component 01: Computer Systems

Overview

This section examines the wider impact of digital technology on individuals and society, considering ethical dilemmas, legal frameworks, cultural shifts, and environmental responsibilities.

Key Concepts

  • Ethical issues: privacy, data ownership, algorithmic bias, AI ethics, impact on employment.
  • Legal issues: The Data Protection Act, Computer Misuse Act, Copyright Designs and Patents Act, Creative Commons licensing.
  • Cultural issues: impact on social interaction, the 'digital divide', globalisation vs local culture, censorship and freedom of speech.
  • Environmental issues: energy consumption of devices and data centres, e-waste creation and disposal.
  • Considering stakeholders in technology decisions (e.g., users, employees, companies, environment).
  • Open source vs proprietary software.

Revision Notes