Law and Policy in Responsible Technology

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Questions and Answers

What is considered victimization under the Equality Act?

Receiving support in filing a complaint

Being treated poorly after exercising rights (correct)

Making a new complaint against someone

Failing to file a complaint in person

What issue arose from the grading algorithm used during the Covid-19 crisis?

It was faster than traditional exams

It unintentionally discriminated against certain demographics (correct)

It was too lenient on students

It was based on subjective teacher evaluations

In the context of the Amazon recruitment tool, what was a major flaw of the algorithm developed?

It was biased towards male applicants (correct)

It favored non-traditional applicants

It used real-time data analytics

It included too many candidates

What does the COMPAS system aim to improve in judicial decisions?

The consistency and quality of decisions Signup and view all the answers

Why can the creation of an offensive or intimidating environment lead to legal issues?

It can be seen as harassment Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a potential consequence of biased algorithms in decision-making processes?

Perpetuation of existing biases Signup and view all the answers

What concern was raised regarding the COMPAS algorithm's predictions?

It sometimes falsely identified low-risk offenders as high-risk Signup and view all the answers

What demographic was more likely to be incorrectly labeled as a higher risk for reoffending according to the algorithm mentioned?

Black people Signup and view all the answers

What ethical issue was highlighted regarding the A-level grading process during Covid-19?

It lacked fairness in the grading criteria Signup and view all the answers

Which group was more likely to be mislabeled as lower risk for reoffending by the algorithm?

White people Signup and view all the answers

What is a fundamental issue associated with proprietary algorithms in the legal system?

Transparency Signup and view all the answers

What does algorithmic bias violate according to the content provided?

Equality legislation Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect of law is highlighted as lacking oversight compared to how ethical decisions are made in tech firms?

Public consent Signup and view all the answers

What ethical issue arose concerning the use of facial recognition software by Microsoft and Amazon?

Ethical concerns regarding its use by police. Signup and view all the answers

What is one impact of tech firms creating their own ethical decisions as described in the content?

Enforced ethical standards on users Signup and view all the answers

What might happen if less scrupulous firms take over the market for facial recognition software?

Closure to ethical questions may arise Signup and view all the answers

What defines primary legislation?

Laws created by a central authority that society must follow. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of regulation in the context of legislation?

To implement and enforce details of primary legislation. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements regarding standards is true?

Standards can be de jure or de facto. Signup and view all the answers

Which principle does GDPR emphasize regarding data collection?

Only collect data necessary for its intended purpose. Signup and view all the answers

What risk is associated with 'leaky' AWS S3 buckets?

They expose data to the public, increasing security vulnerabilities. Signup and view all the answers

What does the principle of 'data accuracy' in data protection entail?

Data must be kept updated and accurate. Signup and view all the answers

What challenge does cloud storage, such as AWS S3, pose to data security?

The complexity of configuration leading to errors. Signup and view all the answers

How do standards inform legislation?

They guide the creation and enforcement of laws. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following areas is NOT specifically mentioned as pertinent to computer science?

Civil rights legislation Signup and view all the answers

What is described as a general statement of intent by a government?

Policy Signup and view all the answers

Which concept distinguishes law from ethics in a democratic society?

Binding obligation for all Signup and view all the answers

What can happen if computer systems undermine human rights according to Hildebrandt?

They can diminish human agency. Signup and view all the answers

Which option reflects the relationship between law and technological innovation?

Technological innovation often precedes regulation. Signup and view all the answers

According to the discussion, what can individuals do in relation to laws?

Disobey laws if ethical considerations differ Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of knowledge of the law for developers of computational systems?

It helps in designing systems that are legally effective. Signup and view all the answers

Which distinction is crucial to understand in the context of legal terms?

Policy, legislation, regulations, and standards Signup and view all the answers

What type of crimes are categorized as cyber-dependent crimes?

Breaking into systems using ICT Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a protected characteristic under the Equality Act (2010)?

Political affiliation Signup and view all the answers

What is a key aspect of the shared responsibility model in AWS?

Clients share responsibility for data security with AWS. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes indirect discrimination?

Policies that disadvantage certain groups without intention. Signup and view all the answers

Which scenario illustrates direct discrimination?

Excluding older applicants from a job position. Signup and view all the answers

What does harassment involve in the context of equality legislation?

Unwanted and degrading behavior based on a characteristic. Signup and view all the answers

Which example illustrates cyber-enabled crime?

Using phishing to commit fraud. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes open source licensing requirements?

Attribution is often required for use. Signup and view all the answers

What behavior might be considered harassment in an online context?

Making repeated unwelcome comments about someone's characteristics. Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of the Equality Act (2010) is primarily focused on?

Protecting against unfair treatment based on characteristics. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Law, Standards, and Policy in Responsible Technology

This unit covers legal areas relevant to computer science.
Topics of concern include privacy and data protection, cybercrime, intellectual property, copyright, equality legislation, and how computer science impacts law.
The discussion also touches on supporting judicial decisions.
It is important to understand the difference between ethics and the law, especially in regard to innovation outpacing regulation.
Law protects essential parts of constitutional democracy.
Knowledge of law is crucial for developers of computational systems, as their creations may shape legal interpretation.
Computer systems can potentially weaken human rights or make legal remedies less effective.
Laws are binding for all members of society, but dissent or disobedience may be justified for ethical considerations.
Laws can sometimes be unethical.
Policy is a general statement of intent for a government or prospective government.
Policy is often enacted through legislation.
Legislation (primary legislation) is law created by a central authority that members of the society are expected to follow.
Regulation (secondary legislation) implements primary legislation, often created by domain experts or a relevant regulator within a specific sector.
Standards are created by organizations or communities, either formally through expert consensus (de jure) or through common practice (de facto).
Standards can inform legislation.
Examples of legislative areas of concern include privacy and data protection, cybercrime, intellectual property, and equality legislation, and how technology impacts them.

Privacy and Data Protection

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is relevant legislation, with further details available for independent study.
Data collection should be limited to necessary data.
Data should only be used for its intended purpose.
Data should be accurate and current
Users should be able to access and control their data.
Data security is a vital aspect.

Cybercrime

Cyber-dependent crimes rely on ICT for their actions.
Cyber-enabled crimes utilize ICT to increase the scale or impact of traditional crimes.
Ex: fraud, intellectual property crime (counterfeiting and copyright infringement).

Intellectual Property and Copyright

Automated tools search for infringements related to stock photos and code snippets.
Using code libraries and packages requires careful consideration of licenses (and track whether they are compliant).
Important to consider the appropriate licenses of open-source software, particularly when it comes to commercial use.
Use of software often requires consideration of attribution.

Equality Legislation

Equality legislation aims to ensure people are treated fairly.
It addresses prohibited behaviours, such as discrimination.
The Equality Act of 2010 is key legislation, consolidating various prior acts (sex discrimination, race relations, and disability discrimination acts) to provide protection from various types of discrimination.
Protected characteristics covered (e.g. disability, age, gender, religion or belief, sexual orientation, and marriage/civil partnership status) are addressed extensively in legislation to prevent discrimination and harassment.

Case Study - Amazon Recruitment Tool

Amazon's recruitment tool used historical data and AI which favored male candidates.
This highlights how algorithms can reflect biases present in data, leading to discrimination.

Application of IT to the Legal Process - COMPAS

COMPAS (Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions) is a tool used in the legal process to assess recidivism risk.
Critically, the tool showed bias in its predictions, with disproportionate higher risk scores for Black individuals.
Flaws in the algorithms revealed the inherent risk of algorithmic bias in decision-making contexts.

Algorithmic Bias - COMPAS

Opacity of algorithms is a fundamental challenge.
Laws usually undergo review and examination.
Proprietary algorithms limit review opportunities; the lack of transparency presents challenges.
Algorithmic biases violate equality legislation.
Technological influence on law is a broader issue requiring further examination.

The Influence of Tech in Law

Laws are created with checks and balances.
Ethics can be influenced and established by tech firms within their organizations and use cases.
Tech companies have the ability to enforce ethical choices that users should be able to understand.
There can be issues with oversight and avenues for disobeying or dissenting in the context of tech.
Users lack explicit control over ethical implications and may be unknowingly supporting certain decisions that they would not support explicitly.
Firms like Microsoft and Amazon have withdrawn from market due to ethical concerns around the police use of facial recognition (which raises several ethical concerns).
Who defines what is ethically permissible if tech firms dominate the definition of ethical behaviour?

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Description

This quiz explores the intersection of law, standards, and policy within the realm of responsible technology. Key topics include privacy, data protection, cybercrime, and the ethical implications of laws that may conflict with technological advancements. Understand how these legal frameworks affect the development and use of computer systems.