What ethical, legal and cultural issues does technology raise?
Understand the ethical, legal and cultural issues raised by digital technology and how stakeholders are affected.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE Computer Science 3.8, covering the ethical, legal and cultural issues raised by digital technology and how different stakeholders are affected.
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What this dot point is asking
AQA wants you to discuss the ethical, legal and cultural issues raised by digital technology, identify the stakeholders affected, and weigh the benefits against the drawbacks.
Ethical, legal and cultural issues
The three overlap but are assessed separately. Something can be legal but ethically questionable (for example, legally collecting data in ways users do not really understand), and a cultural change (such as fewer human jobs) can follow from a decision that is both legal and, to the business, ethical. Using the right label for each issue is part of what the exam rewards.
Stakeholders
Weighing benefits and drawbacks
Common issues you can draw on
Several recurring issues give you material for discussion questions. Automation and jobs: technology can replace human roles, helping businesses but causing unemployment. Data and privacy: collecting personal data can improve services but risks misuse, raising both ethical and legal concerns. The digital divide: as essential services move online, those without access or skills are excluded, a cultural and ethical fairness issue. Artificial intelligence: automated decisions can be fast and consistent but may be biased or hard to challenge. Online behaviour: social media affects mental health and the spread of misinformation. Knowing a handful of these, and the stakeholders each affects, lets you build a balanced answer for almost any scenario the exam sets.
Try this
Q1. State what a stakeholder is. [1 mark]
- Cue. Any person or group affected by a computer system or technology decision.
Q2. Explain one ethical issue raised by collecting users' personal data. [2 marks]
- Cue. It can improve a service, but using or selling data without clear consent threatens users' privacy, which may be morally wrong.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of AQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AQA 20205 marksA supermarket replaces its staffed checkouts with self-service machines. Discuss the ethical and cultural issues this raises, referring to the different stakeholders affected.Show worked answer →
A strong answer weighs benefits against drawbacks for several stakeholders. The business benefits from lower staff costs and faster throughput. Customers may benefit from shorter queues but some, especially older or less confident users, may struggle, and the change can widen the digital divide for those uncomfortable with technology.
Employees are the most affected: some lose their jobs (an ethical concern about responsibility to staff), while a few may retrain to maintain the machines. Culturally, fewer human interactions change the shopping experience.
Markers reward identifying several stakeholders (business, customers, employees), weighing positive against negative effects, and using the terms ethical and cultural correctly rather than giving only one side.
AQA 20224 marksExplain what is meant by the digital divide, and explain why it is considered a cultural and ethical issue.Show worked answer →
The digital divide is the gap between people who have access to digital technology and the internet and the skills to use it, and those who do not, for reasons such as cost, location or age.
It is a cultural and ethical issue because as more essential services (banking, government, job applications, education) move online, people without access or skills are disadvantaged and excluded, which is unfair. It raises the ethical question of whether providers and government have a responsibility to ensure fair access.
Markers reward a clear definition of the divide (access and skills gap) and an explanation linking it to fairness and exclusion as services move online.
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Sources & how we know this
- AQA GCSE Computer Science (8525) specification — AQA (2020)