Ethical and Environmental Issues

This lesson covers the ethical, moral, and environmental issues surrounding computing for the OCR A-Level Computer Science (H446) specification, section 1.5. Technology has profound impacts on society, and you need to understand both the benefits and the challenges.

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Ethical Frameworks

An ethical framework is a set of principles used to guide decision-making about what is right and wrong.

Framework	Core Idea	Application to Computing
Utilitarianism	The right action is the one that produces the greatest good for the greatest number.	Is mass surveillance justified if it prevents terrorism?
Deontological (Kantian)	Some actions are inherently right or wrong, regardless of consequences. Rules must be followed.	Hacking is wrong even if done to expose a corrupt organisation.
Virtue ethics	Focus on the character and intentions of the person, not just the action or its consequences.	A programmer should develop virtues like honesty and responsibility.
Rights-based	Every person has fundamental rights (e.g., privacy, freedom of expression) that must be respected.	Individuals have a right to privacy, even online.