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CAIE 9618 · Paper 1 · Topic 1.6.1

Ethical, Legal &
Social Issues

Digital Divide · Privacy · AI Ethics · Automation · Intellectual Property

CSZone Cambridge International AS & A Level Computer Science 9618
Digital Divide

Unequal Access to Technology

The digital divide is the gap between those who have access to digital technology and the internet, and those who do not. This affects individuals, communities, and nations — and can reinforce existing inequalities.
CAUSES
Poverty — cannot afford devices or internet. Geography — rural areas lack infrastructure. Education — lack of digital literacy skills. Age — older generations may lack access or skills.
CONSEQUENCES
Limited access to education and jobs. Reduced economic opportunity. Inability to access e-government services. Social exclusion from digital communities and information.
Privacy and Data Ethics

Who Owns Your Data?

Mass surveillance — governments collecting data on citizens (e.g. CCTV, metadata collection). Balancing national security vs right to privacy.
Data collection by corporations — companies harvest user data for advertising profiling, personalisation. Users often unaware of extent.
Cookies and tracking — websites track user behaviour across the internet to build profiles.
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) — EU law giving citizens rights: access their data, right to be forgotten, data breach notification.
Data breaches — unauthorised access to personal data; organisation required to notify affected individuals and regulators.
Automation & Employment

Technology Replacing Human Work

BENEFITS OF AUTOMATION
Higher productivity and efficiency. Frees humans from dangerous/repetitive tasks. Lower cost of goods. 24/7 operation without rest. Consistent quality (no human error).
CONCERNS
Job displacement — unskilled workers most at risk. Social inequality increases if benefits not shared. Requires retraining programmes. New types of jobs created (AI engineers, data scientists) but require skills many workers lack.
Intellectual Property & Copyright

Protecting Creative Work

Copyright — legal protection for original creative works (software, music, books, images). Owner has exclusive rights to copy, distribute, modify. Automatic — no registration required.
Piracy — illegal copying or distribution of copyrighted software, music, or films. Harms creators' income. Illegal under copyright law.
Open Source — source code freely available, can be modified and distributed. e.g. Linux, Python. Promotes collaboration and innovation.
Creative Commons — flexible licensing allowing creators to specify how work can be shared/used.
AI-generated content — who owns content made by AI trained on copyrighted works? Active ethical and legal debate.
Exam Practice

Cambridge-style questions

Question 1
Discuss the social and ethical issues raised by the increasing use of automation in manufacturing. Consider both positive and negative aspects.
6 marks
2 marks
Positive: automation increases productivity — robots work faster and longer than humans without fatigue, leading to lower-cost goods benefiting consumers
2 marks
Positive: removes humans from dangerous/repetitive tasks — reduces workplace injury risk and improves working conditions for remaining workers
2 marks
Negative: job displacement — unskilled/manual workers cannot easily transition to new roles; this increases social inequality and may require expensive government retraining programmes
Common Mistakes

Don't lose easy marks

1
Only giving one side in a "discuss" question — "discuss" means you must analyse both advantages and disadvantages (or multiple perspectives). Always include opposing viewpoints for full marks.
2
Confusing legal and ethical — legal = what the law says (e.g. copyright law, GDPR). Ethical = what is morally right (e.g. is it right for companies to sell your data even if legal?). These are different concepts; use them correctly.
3
Saying the digital divide is just about internet speed — the digital divide is much broader: it includes access to devices, internet connectivity, digital literacy, and affordability. Don't oversimplify this issue.
Topic Summary — 1.6.1

What You Need to Know

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Unequal access: poverty, geography, age, literacy
Impact: jobs, education, social inclusion
PRIVACY
Surveillance, data harvesting, tracking
GDPR: access, deletion, breach notification rights
AUTOMATION
Benefits: productivity, safety, consistency
Risks: job displacement, skills gap, inequality
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Copyright: protects creative works automatically
Piracy: illegal copying · Open source: freely shared
AI content: unsettled legal debate
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1.6.2
Cybercrime & Computer Misuse
Computer Misuse Act · Types of Cybercrime · Prevention
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