Data representation and security · GCSE Computer Science

Ethical and legal issues in CS

GCSE Computer Science ethics and law: data protection, copyright, software licences, Computer Misuse Act, and professional responsibility.

UNDERSTAND→RETRIEVE→REMEMBER
THE MEMORY HOOK
Permission, privacy, property — the three Ps before you click, copy or crack.

The important bits

What you need to know

  1. 1

    Ethics: moral choices about technology — privacy, bias, automation, environmental cost.

  2. 2

    Data Protection Act 2018 / UK GDPR: lawful basis, consent, purpose limitation, data minimisation, accuracy, storage limitation, security, accountability.

  3. 3

    Personal data: identifies a living individual; special category data (health, religion) needs extra care.

  4. 4

    Copyright: protects creative work; copying without licence illegal; Creative Commons and open source allow defined reuse.

  5. 5

    Software licences: proprietary (EULA, no source), open source (GPL, MIT — share/modify with conditions).

  6. 6

    Computer Misuse Act 1990: unauthorised access, access with intent to commit further offences, unauthorised modification.

  7. 7

    Whistle-blowing and professional codes — report security flaws responsibly (coordinated disclosure).

  8. 8

    AI ethics (where spec includes): bias in training data, transparency, job displacement — evaluate with examples.

Quotations worth analysing

Short evidence. Real method.

“Unauthorised access to computer material is an offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990.”
UK cyber law summary

“I was only testing” fails without permission. Pair with ethical hacking that has written consent.

Go deeper

GDPR in exam sentences

Organisations must have lawful reason to process data, protect it, and allow subject access/erasure in many cases. Fines for breaches are large. Name principles rather than inventing acronyms the mark scheme does not use.

WORKED EXAMPLE

See the idea in action

Question: explain legal issues when copying software. Copyright protects code; licence defines allowed use; piracy breaches copyright; open source permits under its terms. Computer Misuse Act if access systems without permission.

Exam technique

Turn knowledge into marks

Name the Act or regulation and one specific offence or principle.

Common mistakes

Do not give these marks away

  1. 01

    Confusing copyright with patent.

  2. 02

    Saying ethical hacking is always legal.

  3. 03

    GDPR as “don’t share passwords” only — too thin.

QUICK RETRIEVAL

What does the Computer Misuse Act 1990 mainly address?

AUnauthorised access and modification of computer systems

BSlow internet speeds

CChoosing a programming language

DPrinting homework

Show the answer

Unauthorised access and modification of computer systems. CMA criminalises hacking without permission, not general IT inconvenience.

Quick questions

If this is the bit you searched

What is open-source software?

Source code available to view/modify under a licence (e.g. MIT, GPL). Still has legal terms.