What you'll learn
Digital technology affects people, society and the planet in ways that go far beyond how computers work. In OCR GCSE Computer Science (J277, section 1.6) you need to discuss the ethical, legal, cultural and environmental impacts of technology, the privacy issues it raises, and the key UK legislation: the Data Protection Act 2018, the Computer Misuse Act 1990, the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, and software licences, including open-source and proprietary software. This guide explains each area with examples and shows how to write the extended, balanced answers that this topic demands.
This topic is often assessed through longer questions worth six or eight marks, in which you discuss a scenario such as self-driving cars, facial recognition or replacing staff with automation. These answers are marked on the quality of discussion: a range of points, explained, considering different stakeholders, with a conclusion.
Key terms and definitions
Ethical issues — Questions about what is morally right or wrong in how technology is designed and used.
Legal issues — Questions about what the law allows or forbids.
Cultural issues — How technology affects society, behaviour, communities and ways of life.
Environmental issues — The effects of technology on the natural world, including energy use, resources and waste.
Privacy — A person's right to control who sees and uses information about them.
Stakeholder — Any person or group affected by a decision, such as users, employees, companies and society.
Data Protection Act 2018 — UK law (implementing the GDPR) controlling how personal data is collected, stored and processed.
Computer Misuse Act 1990 — UK law making unauthorised access to computers and related actions illegal.
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 — UK law protecting the creators of original works from copying without permission.
Open-source software — Software whose source code is freely available to be viewed, modified and shared.
Proprietary software — Software owned by a company, sold under licence, with the source code kept secret.
Digital divide — The gap between those who have access to digital technology and the skills to use it and those who do not.
Core concepts
Ethical issues
Ethics asks whether something should be done, even if it can be done or is legal. Common ethical issues include:
- Automation and jobs — robots and software can replace workers. This can lower costs and remove dangerous jobs, but causes unemployment and requires retraining.
- Artificial intelligence — AI can make decisions about loans, job applications or medical diagnoses. If trained on biased data, it can treat some groups unfairly, and its decisions can be hard to explain or challenge.
- Autonomous vehicles — self-driving cars may reduce accidents caused by human error, but raise questions about who is responsible when one crashes and how the car should decide between harms.
- Surveillance — CCTV, facial recognition and online tracking can improve security but reduce privacy and may be misused.
- Access — the digital divide means people without devices, internet access or skills can be excluded as services move online.
- Online behaviour — cyberbullying, trolling and the spread of misinformation.
Legal issues
Technology raises legal questions about data, hacking, intellectual property, and which country's laws apply when services operate across borders. The specific UK laws you need are below.
Cultural issues
Technology changes how people live, work and communicate. Social media changes relationships and how news spreads; people may spend less time face to face; online shopping changes town centres; working from home changes communities and commuting. Technology can help preserve and share cultures and languages, but can also lead to a dominant global culture. Issues of digital etiquette, the pressure to be always connected and the effects on mental health are also cultural impacts.
Environmental issues
Negative impacts:
- Manufacturing devices uses energy, water and scarce raw materials, including rare metals that may be mined in harmful conditions.
- Data centres and networks consume large amounts of electricity.
- E-waste — discarded devices contain toxic substances such as lead and mercury; if dumped in landfill or exported and broken down unsafely, they harm people and the environment.
- Frequent upgrades and planned obsolescence increase waste.
Positive impacts:
- Video conferencing and remote working reduce travel.
- Digital documents reduce paper use.
- Smart technology (smart meters, thermostats) helps reduce energy waste.
- Computer modelling helps scientists understand climate change.
Responsible approaches include recycling e-waste, repairing and reusing devices, and using renewable energy for data centres.
Privacy issues
Organisations collect large amounts of personal data — browsing history, location, purchases, contacts. This allows personalised services but raises concerns about consent, how data is shared or sold, data breaches, and surveillance by companies or governments. Individuals should be aware of privacy settings and what they share; organisations must follow data protection law.
The Data Protection Act 2018
The Act controls how personal data is used. Organisations must follow principles including that data is:
- used fairly, lawfully and transparently;
- used only for specified, explicit purposes;
- adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary;
- accurate and kept up to date;
- kept no longer than necessary;
- handled securely, protecting against unauthorised access, loss or damage.
Individuals (data subjects) have rights, including to access the data held about them, to have inaccurate data corrected, and in some cases to have data erased. Organisations that break the law can be fined.
The Computer Misuse Act 1990
The Act makes three main offences illegal:
- Unauthorised access to computer material — for example, logging into someone else's account without permission.
- Unauthorised access with intent to commit or facilitate further offences — for example, hacking into a system in order to steal money.
- Unauthorised acts with intent to impair the operation of a computer — for example, spreading malware or carrying out a denial of service attack.
It also covers making or supplying tools for such offences. Penalties include fines and imprisonment.
The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
The Act protects intellectual property — original work such as software, music, films, books, images and designs. It is illegal to copy, distribute, adapt or sell copyrighted work without the owner's permission. This includes copying software without a licence, sharing films illegally and using images found online without permission. Copyright applies automatically; creators do not need to register it.
Software licences: open-source and proprietary
Open-source software:
- Source code is available, so users can view, modify and share it.
- Usually free.
- Advantages: free to use; can be adapted to suit needs; often well tested by a community.
- Disadvantages: support may come only from community forums; may lack features or polish; changes can be made by anyone, so quality can vary.
Proprietary software:
- Source code is kept secret; users buy a licence to use it under set conditions.
- Advantages: usually well supported with updates and help; tested professionally; often feature-rich and familiar.
- Disadvantages: costs money; cannot be modified; users depend on the company.
Licences specify how software can be used, such as on how many devices.
Writing an extended response
Longer questions in this topic are marked using levels. To reach the top level:
- Cover several areas — ethical, legal, cultural, environmental and privacy — not just one.
- Explain each point with a reason or consequence, rather than listing it.
- Use the scenario — refer to the specific technology, people and organisation in the question.
- Consider different stakeholders — users, employees, the company, wider society.
- Show both sides — benefits and drawbacks.
- Conclude with a reasoned judgement.
A paragraph that follows point → explanation → consequence is a reliable pattern. For example: Facial recognition cameras in shops could identify known shoplifters (point), because faces are matched automatically against a database (explanation), which may reduce theft but also means every customer's face is processed without their consent, raising privacy concerns under data protection law (consequence).
Typical stakeholders
Users and customers (convenience, privacy, safety); employees (jobs, skills, monitoring); businesses (costs, profit, legal duties, reputation); governments (regulation, security, public services); and society and the environment (inequality, culture, sustainability). Naming stakeholders explicitly helps examiners see the breadth of your answer.
Worked examples
Example 1: Applying legislation
A student guesses a teacher's password and logs in to view exam papers. Which law has been broken? Explain. (2 marks)
Answer: The Computer Misuse Act 1990 (1), because the student gained unauthorised access to computer material (1).
Example 2: Data protection
A shop keeps customers' details for ten years after they stop shopping there and does not protect the files with passwords. Explain how this breaks the Data Protection Act 2018. (2 marks)
Answer: Data must not be kept longer than necessary (1), and personal data must be kept secure against unauthorised access (1).
Example 3: Extended discussion
Discuss the impact of self-driving delivery vehicles. (8 marks — outline)
Answer outline:
- Ethical: may reduce accidents caused by tired drivers; but who is responsible in a crash, and how should the vehicle choose between risks?
- Legal: laws on insurance and liability need updating; data collected by cameras must comply with data protection law.
- Cultural: deliveries could be faster and cheaper; public trust may be low; driving jobs would be lost, affecting communities.
- Environmental: electric autonomous vehicles could reduce emissions and drive more efficiently; manufacturing and batteries have environmental costs.
- Conclusion: benefits are significant, but legal, ethical and employment issues must be addressed before wide use.
Example 4: Choosing a licence
A small charity needs office software but has very little money. Should it choose open-source or proprietary software?
Answer: Open-source software, because it is free and would meet basic needs such as writing documents. The charity should consider that support comes mainly from online communities, but for simple tasks this is unlikely to be a problem.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Confusing the three laws. Hacking = Computer Misuse Act; personal data = Data Protection Act; copying software or music = Copyright Act.
- One-sided discussions. Extended answers need benefits and drawbacks.
- Mixing ethical and legal. Something can be legal but unethical.
- Saying open-source software is "illegal to sell" or "has no licence". It has a licence that allows sharing and modification.
- Vague environmental points. Mention specific issues: e-waste, energy use, raw materials.
Exam technique for "Ethical, Legal, Cultural and Environmental Impact"
- For six- and eight-mark answers, use the four headings — ethical, legal, cultural, environmental — plus privacy where relevant, and cover more than one.
- Consider different stakeholders: users, employees, businesses, society.
- Use specific examples and the correct names and dates of the laws.
- Finish with a justified conclusion.
Quick revision summary
- Ethical: automation, AI bias, autonomous vehicles, surveillance, digital divide.
- Cultural: changes to communication, work, communities and wellbeing.
- Environmental: energy, resources, e-waste versus reduced travel and paper.
- Privacy: data collection, consent, breaches, surveillance.
- Data Protection Act 2018: lawful, limited, accurate, secure, not kept too long; individuals' rights.
- Computer Misuse Act 1990: unauthorised access; with intent; impairing operation.
- Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988: protects original work from copying.
- Open-source (free, modifiable, community support) vs proprietary (paid, closed, supported).