Edexcel 1CP2 · Topic 5 · 5.2c

Privacy &
Surveillance

CCTV · Data Collection · Cookies · Tracking · Balancing Security with Privacy

CSZoneEdexcel GCSE Computer Science 1CP2

Digital Surveillance

Who is Watching?

CCTV: millions of cameras in public and private spaces; can deter crime but raises concerns about mass surveillance

Government surveillance: intelligence agencies can monitor communications (with legal authority) to prevent terrorism

Employer monitoring: companies may legally monitor employees' computer use, emails, and location

Social media: platforms track activity, location, and behaviour to build advertising profiles

Cookies & Online Tracking

How Websites Track You

Cookies: small text files stored by websites on your device. Can store login information, preferences, and tracking data. Third-party cookies track you across multiple websites.

GDPR requires websites to get consent before setting non-essential cookies — hence cookie banners

Profiling: combining data from cookies, search history, location, and purchases to build a detailed picture of behaviour

Data brokers: companies that collect and sell personal data to advertisers and other businesses

Security vs Privacy

A Difficult Balance

Governments argue that surveillance powers are necessary to prevent terrorism and serious crime. Civil liberties groups argue this infringes on the right to privacy — a fundamental human right. This tension is central to digital ethics debates.

End-to-end encryption (e.g. in messaging apps) protects privacy — but also prevents law enforcement from reading criminal communications

The "nothing to hide, nothing to fear" argument is challenged by the potential for abuse of surveillance powers

Exam Practice

Have a go at this question

Edexcel-style question

Discuss whether governments should be allowed to access citizens' encrypted messages to prevent crime.

6 marks

For: allows authorities to detect terrorist plots and serious crime; could prevent harm to the public [1+1]. Against: undermines end-to-end encryption for everyone [1]; creates a backdoor that criminals could also exploit [1]; infringes on the right to privacy [1]; could be abused by authoritarian governments [1].

Key Takeaways

What to Remember

Surveillance: CCTV, government monitoring, employer tracking, social media profiling

Cookies: track behaviour online; GDPR requires consent; used to build advertising profiles

Security vs privacy: a genuine trade-off — Edexcel expects a balanced discussion

DPA/GDPR protects individuals; right to know what data is held, and how it is used