OCR GCSE Computer Science 1.6 Ethical, legal, cultural and environmental impacts: the five impact categories, the key laws and software licensing

What topic 1.6 actually demands

Topic 1.6 is the part of Component 01 that looks beyond how computers work to their effect on people and the planet. It is examined in Paper J277/01 and is where the 8-mark extended-response question usually sits, so it rewards balanced argument and exact knowledge of the laws, not just recall. You need to discuss a technology across the five impact categories, identify stakeholders, name and apply the key laws, distinguish open source from proprietary software, explain environmental impacts, and explain the digital divide.

This guide ties together the five dot-point pages for the topic.

The five impact categories and stakeholders

OCR analyses every technology against five overlapping categories: ethical (right and wrong, fairness, responsibility), legal (which law applies), cultural (effect on groups and society), environmental (energy, materials, e-waste) and privacy (personal data). A stakeholder is any person or group with an interest in, or affected by, the technology. The skill is to name the stakeholders, make developed points in two or more categories, give both sides, and conclude.

Privacy and personal data

Personal data is any information that can identify a living person (name, address, location, IP address, biometrics). Organisations collect it through accounts and forms, cookies, loyalty cards, smartphones and CCTV, mainly to provide services and target advertising. The benefits are convenience and free services; the risks are breaches, data being sold, profiling and manipulation, identity theft, and a lack of real consent. The recurring tension is convenience versus privacy.

The legislation

Three laws recur. The Data Protection Act 2018 controls how personal data is collected, stored and used, and gives individuals rights over it. The Computer Misuse Act 1990 makes three things illegal: unauthorised access, unauthorised access with intent to commit a further offence, and unauthorised modification of data. The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 protects original work (software, music, images) from being copied or used without permission. Match the scenario to the right Act: personal data to Data Protection, hacking or damage to Computer Misuse, copying creative work to Copyright.

Software licensing

Open source software makes its source code freely available to view, modify and share, and is usually free (Linux, Firefox). Proprietary software keeps the source code secret, is licensed not sold, and is usually paid for (Windows, Photoshop). Open source gives cost savings and freedom to adapt; proprietary gives official support and tested, reliable updates.

Environmental impacts and the digital divide

Digital technology affects the environment across its whole life: manufacture uses energy and mines raw materials including rare metals; operation uses electricity, with data centres a major energy and water user; and disposal creates e-waste containing toxic substances. The impact is reduced by keeping devices longer, repairing, recycling and using renewable energy. The digital divide is the gap in access, connection quality and skills between those who can use technology and those who cannot, driven by cost, location, age and education. Automation lowers costs and removes dangerous work but destroys routine jobs; social media connects people but spreads misinformation and can harm wellbeing.

Check your knowledge

A mix of recall and applied questions covering topic 1.6. Attempt them, then check against the solutions.

1. Name the five categories of impact OCR uses. (2 marks)
2. State what is meant by a stakeholder. (1 mark)
3. State the three offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990. (3 marks)
4. State which law controls how organisations store and use personal data. (1 mark)
5. Explain the difference between open source and proprietary software. (2 marks)
6. State what is meant by e-waste and one reason it is harmful. (2 marks)
7. State what is meant by the digital divide. (1 mark)
8. Give one positive and one negative impact of automation on society. (2 marks)