Curriculum Portal

neurologyYou need to know

• The Data Protection Act 1998 regulates how organisations collect, process, store and disclose personal data about identifiable living people.
• Under the Data Protection Act 1998, personal data must be processed fairly and lawfully, used only for specified purposes, adequate and relevant, accurate, kept no longer than necessary, processed according to individuals’ rights, kept secure and transferred outside the European Economic Area only when adequately protected.
• The Data Protection Act 1998 gives individuals rights concerning their personal data, including access to information held about them and correction of inaccurate data.
• The Computer Misuse Act 1990 makes unauthorised access to computer material illegal, including accessing an account or system without permission.
• The Computer Misuse Act 1990 also prohibits unauthorised access with intent to commit further offences and unauthorised acts intended to impair a computer’s operation, such as introducing malware.
• The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 protects original software, digital media and other creative works, giving copyright holders control over copying, distribution and adaptation.
• Copyright protection is automatic, while licences specify how another person may legally install, copy, modify or distribute copyrighted material.
• The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 provides a legal framework for authorised interception of communications, surveillance and access to communications data by specified public bodies.
• An action can be legal but ethically questionable, or illegal but regarded by some people as morally justified, because law and ethics are not identical.
• Computers can replace some routine jobs, create new technology-related jobs and change existing roles, making retraining and digital skills increasingly important.
• Automated decision-making systems can process large quantities of data consistently and quickly, but biased data or rules can produce unfair outcomes.
• Artificial intelligence can identify patterns, make predictions and perform tasks associated with human intelligence, but its use raises concerns about accountability, transparency, safety, employment and privacy.
• Manufacturing devices, operating data centres and disposing of electronic waste consume energy and resources, produce carbon emissions and can release hazardous substances.
• Extending device life, repairing and reusing equipment, recycling electronic waste and using renewable energy can reduce the environmental effects of digital technology.
• Internet censorship can restrict harmful or illegal material, but it can also limit freedom of expression, political opposition and access to information.
• Digital services can monitor behaviour and analyse personal information to personalise content, target advertising, detect crime or influence decisions, creating risks involving privacy, consent, profiling and discrimination.
• Software and media piracy is the unauthorised copying or distribution of copyrighted work, while offensive digital communications can cause harassment, distress and reputational harm.
• Interface layouts, colour conventions and character sets can reflect cultural assumptions; inclusive systems use accessible layouts, avoid relying only on colour, support different writing directions and use Unicode to represent characters from many languages.

• Apply the Data Protection Act 1998 to a scenario by identifying the personal data involved, the relevant data-protection principle and any failure to comply.
• Classify examples of unauthorised access or interference under the relevant offences in the Computer Misuse Act 1990.
• Determine whether the copying, installation, modification or distribution of digital content is permitted by its copyright licence and the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
• Explain whether interception or surveillance in a given scenario requires lawful authority under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.
• Distinguish legal, moral, ethical, social and cultural issues in a digital-technology scenario, recognising that one issue may belong to several categories.
• Evaluate the effects of computers, automation or artificial intelligence on different stakeholders, balancing benefits against risks and supporting a justified conclusion.
• Assess an automated decision-making system for biased data, unfair rules, lack of transparency, privacy risks and the availability of human review.
• Evaluate the environmental impact of a digital product across manufacture, use and disposal, then propose realistic ways to reduce harm.
• Analyse how monitoring, profiling, censorship or offensive communication affects privacy, safety, equality and freedom of expression.
• Improve a digital interface by selecting an accessible layout, suitable colour contrast and an inclusive character set such as Unicode.