Ethical and Legal Issues Exam Practice (OCR J277 Paper 1 Style)

This lesson consolidates all the ethical, legal, cultural, and environmental content from OCR J277 Section 1.6 with exam-style practice and techniques for maximising your marks.

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Key Topics Checklist

Before the exam, make sure you can confidently explain each of the following:

Topic	Key Points
DPA 2018 / GDPR	Seven principles, data subject rights, ICO, fines
Computer Misuse Act 1990	Sections 1, 2, 3; hacking, malware, DDoS
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988	Protects creative works and software; licences; piracy
Freedom of Information Act 2000	Access to public authority information; exemptions
Privacy	Data collection, tracking, surveillance concerns
Censorship	Internet filtering, arguments for and against
Surveillance	CCTV, internet monitoring, facial recognition
Digital divide	Economic, geographic, age-related gaps
Accessibility	Screen readers, WCAG, inclusive design
Changing work patterns	Remote working, automation, gig economy
E-waste	Toxic materials, recycling, planned obsolescence
Energy consumption	Data centres, renewable energy, efficiency
Conflict minerals	3TG minerals, ethical supply chains
Open source vs proprietary	Source code, cost, support, security

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How Section 1.6 Questions Appear in OCR J277 Paper 1

Short-answer questions (1-2 marks)

• "Name one piece of legislation that protects personal data." (1 mark)
• "Give two advantages of open source software." (2 marks)

Application questions (2-4 marks)

• "Explain how the Computer Misuse Act 1990 applies to a student who guesses a teacher's password to access their computer." (3 marks)
• "Describe two environmental impacts of the technology industry." (4 marks)

Extended-response questions (6-8 marks)

• "Discuss the ethical issues surrounding the use of surveillance technology." (6 marks)
• "A company is choosing between open source and proprietary software. Evaluate the factors they should consider." (8 marks)

OCR Exam Tip: Extended-response questions in Section 1.6 are often discuss or evaluate questions. This means you MUST present multiple viewpoints and reach a conclusion. One-sided answers will not achieve full marks.

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Worked Example: Short Answer

Question: State two rights that the Data Protection Act 2018 gives to individuals regarding their personal data. (2 marks)

Model answer:

1. The right to access their personal data held by an organisation (Subject Access Request). (1)
2. The right to have inaccurate personal data corrected (right to rectification). (1)

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Worked Example: Application

Question: A company employee downloads a cracked version of video editing software and installs it on the company's computers. Explain which law this breaks and describe the potential consequences. (4 marks)

Model answer: This breaks the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (1). The video editing software is protected by copyright as the source code is a literary work (1). Downloading and using a cracked version without a valid licence is copyright infringement (1). The software company could take civil action for damages, and in serious cases, criminal prosecution could result in fines or imprisonment of up to 10 years (1).

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Worked Example: Extended Response

Question: Discuss the environmental impact of the technology industry and evaluate what can be done to reduce it. (8 marks)

Model answer structure: