5.2 Moral & Ethical Issues (OCR A Level Computer Science) Flashcards

Internet censorship refers to the control or suppression of information, ideas, or content available online by governments, organisations, or internet service providers.

One reason is to protect national security, such as preventing the spread of sensitive information that could threaten the country.

Censorship can be used to restrict harmful content such as hate speech or exploitation of children.

True.

Freedom of expression allows individuals to voice opinions without fear and is essential for democracy.

Protecting vulnerable communities from online harm must be balanced with the right to access diverse perspectives.

Transparency ensures that censorship measures are fair, accountable, and aligned with democratic principles.

The digital divide is the gap in access to information and online resources between different communities, often worsened by censorship.

Censorship can stifle diverse perspectives or promote safety, so balancing it is crucial for healthy and inclusive online communities.

Ethical concerns arise when online censorship relies on surveillance of users’ activities, which can threaten their privacy.

Protecting the right to information ensures users can make informed decisions and participate fully in society.

Cultural diversity refers to the range of different cultural perspectives and expressions present in society, which can be affected by censorship online.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was identified as the most censored country on the internet.

Behaviour monitoring is the systematic observation and recording of individuals' activities, interactions, and communications, often using technologies such as CCTV, phone tracking, GPS, and email monitoring.

Two main reasons for monitoring behaviour in public spaces are security and crime prevention and public safety and deterrence.

Monitoring phone calls can help law enforcement gather evidence and intelligence related to criminal activities.

In the context of monitoring behaviour, privacy refers to an individual's right to control access to their personal activities, communications, and information.

False.

Monitoring technologies can challenge individual autonomy by making people feel constantly watched and restricting their actions.

Ethical monitoring requires transparency about data collection and accountability for its use.

Extensive monitoring can reduce public trust in institutions because citizens may question the motives behind data collection and how their information is used.

Cultural considerations in monitoring require respect for cultural values and traditions, and should avoid undue bias.

Data mining is the process of extracting patterns from large data sets, often used to discover useful information or trends.

Machine learning algorithms predict patient outcomes, assess risks, and personalise treatment plans by learning from past healthcare data.

The process of analysing personal information using computers involves data gathering, storage and analysis.

True.

Artificial intelligence can process large amounts of data, including medical images, to detect diseases or anomalies.

Informed consent is the act of obtaining permission from individuals to gather, store, and analyse their personal information, respecting their autonomy.

The digital divide is the disparity between those with access to technology and those without, which can lead to social inequity when computers are used to manage health data.

False.

Data security is an ethical obligation because of the sensitive nature of personal information and the need to protect individuals' privacy.

Organisations must be transparent about how personal information is used and be held accountable for any misuse of the data.

Cultural sensitivity is important to respect cultural norms and beliefs about health and privacy, which can affect how personal information should be gathered and analysed.

There is a risk that certain cultural groups may be underrepresented in data sets, leading to biased outcomes.

Piracy is the unauthorised use, distribution, or reproduction of copyrighted material.

The unauthorised copying and sharing of software is known as software piracy.

Piracy causes financial losses for creators and industries, which can lead to job losses and slow economic development.

Piracy can sometimes be seen as a way to democratise access to copyrighted content, especially in regions with economic constraints.

False.

While piracy can have negative economic effects, it may also promote knowledge sharing and dissemination of information, contributing to an open-source culture.

Intellectual property rights are legal protections for the creations of individuals, such as music, software, and writing.

iTunes and Spotify provided convenient, legal, and affordable digital music services, reducing the need for piracy by offering better alternatives to illegal downloads.

In 2000, the band Metallica filed a lawsuit against Napster for copyright infringement.

User Experience (UX) design is the process of creating products that provide meaningful and relevant experiences to users.

In UX design, layout refers to the arrangement of elements on a page or screen, including the positioning of text, images, buttons, and other interactive elements.

In UX design, colour paradigms refer to the systematic use of colours to elicit specific responses from users.

True.

Consistent colour schemes enhance visual cohesion and align with the brand identity in UX design.

A character set is a collection of characters that a system can recognise and display, crucial for presenting information to users in different languages.

Unicode is a widely used encoding standard that supports most of the world's writing systems.

Computer programs must support bi-directional text to accommodate languages that are read left to right and right to left, ensuring usability for users from different cultures.

Cultural differences in colour interpretation can cause the same colour to have different meanings in different cultures, which may lead to misunderstandings or offend users if not considered in the application's design.

Data privacy refers to the protection of personal information collected by computer systems, ensuring it is not misused or accessed without consent.

Robust cybersecurity measures may require monitoring network activity, which can potentially infringe on individuals' privacy.

The increasing reliance on computers can worsen the digital divide, leading to inequality in access to technology.

Algorithms can perpetuate biases in decision-making, resulting in discrimination in hiring, lending, and criminal justice.

Work-life balance is the equilibrium between professional and personal life; computers and remote work can blur these boundaries and impact well-being.

Digital piracy can lead to significant revenue loss for creators, depriving them of deserved revenue.

False.

Remote work can improve productivity and satisfaction for some, but can also cause loneliness and challenge work-life balance for others.

One cultural issue with global online content is the need for localisation, ensuring content fits local norms and values.

Automated decision making is the process of using algorithms and computer systems to make decisions without direct human intervention. These decisions are based on data analysis, pattern recognition, and predefined rules.

Automated decision making streamlines processes and improves efficiency by allowing computers to rapidly and accurately evaluate vast amounts of information.

Financial institutions use automated decision making to assess creditworthiness and determine loan approvals.

Automated decision making aids in medical diagnosis and treatment recommendations by analysing patient data, medical history, and symptoms to provide timely and accurate diagnoses and suggest appropriate treatment options.

Automated systems analyse transaction patterns and user behaviour to flag suspicious activities in real-time.

True.

Recommendation systems use automated decision making to analyse user behaviour, preferences, and past interactions, suggesting content tailored to individual tastes.

If algorithms are trained on biased data, automated decision making can maintain biases and result in discriminatory outcomes for certain individuals or groups.

In 2015, Amazon abandoned an AI recruitment tool because it was biased against women, having been trained on data mostly from men.

E-waste is discarded electronic or electrical devices, which can harm the environment if not disposed of properly.

Two main environmental effects of computers are energy use and disposal (e-waste).

Improper e-waste disposal can lead to environmental and health problems due to toxic elements like lead and mercury.

Two steps for proper e-waste management are reducing and reusing electronic devices and recycling electronic waste at designated facilities.

Before recycling a device, all personal data should be erased to protect privacy.

Environmental equity is the fair distribution of environmental benefits and burdens among different social groups and communities.

The digital divide means unequal access to technology and recycling, which can worsen environmental issues for disadvantaged communities.

Being ethical with technology includes reducing e-waste and minimising energy consumption.