Unit 6 The Bigger Picture PDF - Computing and Emerging Trends

Okay, here is the converted text from the images you sent: # UNIT 6 THE BIGGER PICTURE **COMPUTING AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY** 244 **PRIVACY** 250 **DIGITAL INCLUSION** 255 243 **PROFESSIONALISM** 258 **COMPUTING AND THE LEGAL IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY** 260 **CURRENT AND EMERGING TREN...

Okay, here is the converted text from the images you sent: # UNIT 6 THE BIGGER PICTURE **COMPUTING AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY** 244 **PRIVACY** 250 **DIGITAL INCLUSION** 255 243 **PROFESSIONALISM** 258 **COMPUTING AND THE LEGAL IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY** 260 **CURRENT AND EMERGING TRENDS** 264 ## UNIT 6 # THE BIGGER PICTURE **Assessment Objective 1** Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the key principles of computer science **Assessment Objective 2** Apply knowledge and understanding of key concepts and principles of computer science **Assessment Objective 3** Analyse problems in computational terms: * to make reasoned judgements * to design, program, test, evaluate and refine solutions In this unit you will learn about the effects of computers on the environment, both beneficial and harmful, and how these can be increased or reduced. You will also look at ethical and privacy concerns regarding computer systems and how their benefits should be shared by all people. Governments are working to ensure that the rule of law is imposed on all aspects of computer use and you will look at intellectual property and copyrights, patents and licensing. Finally, you will learn about emerging trends in computer technology such as quantum and DNA computing, artificial intelligence and nanotechnology. ## 24. COMPUTING AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY 244 UNIT 6 THE BIGGER PICTURE 24 COMPUTING AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY # 24 COMPUTING AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY **HINT** Try to stay up to date with computer science news, so that you know about emerging technologies and are aware of current issues. The BBC's Click website is a good starting point. It's also worth checking out the technology section of the BBC website and subscribing to the cs4fn magazine. Everything we do has an impact on the environment and the manufacture, use and disposal of computing devices is no exception. We can, however, use computers to help us combat our destructive effects. **LEARNING OBJECTIVES** Explain how the manufacture, use and disposal of computing technology damages the environment Describe efforts being made to reduce the environmental damage caused by computing technology Give some examples of how computing technology is helping to protect the environment **SUBJECT VOCABULARY** **computing technology** an all-encompassing term referring to the hardware, software and infrastructure that underpin current and emerging computer systems **e-waste** any form of discarded electronic equipment, including computing technology **GENERAL VOCABULARY** **non-renewable materials** resources that cannot be replaced naturally; only a certain amount exists It's hard to imagine what life would be like without the Internet, social media, search engines and e-commerce. Global demand for smartphones, tablets and other forms of computing technology, including embedded processors, web servers, sensors and hard drives, is growing rapidly year on year. At the same time, the pace of new product releases and consumers' wishes to own the latest model are shortening the lifespan of these devices. The average life expectancy of a smartphone, for example, is estimated to be less than two years. The more computing technology we buy, the more we throw away. The manufacture, use and disposal of computing technology has a significant impact on the environment. We are using up resources of **non-renewable** materials, creating huge piles of potentially harmful e-waste, consuming vast quantities of energy and damaging people's health. **MANUFACTURE** **GENERAL VOCABULARY** **radioactive** having or producing energy that comes from atoms breaking up **contaminate** making something dirty or polluted Manufacturing a smartphone, PC or any other piece of computing technology is a complex process. It starts with gathering raw materials and ends with the finished item being sent to the customer, with lots of stages in between. This makes it difficult to determine accurately the overall environmental impact (although there's no doubt that it's considerable). **RAW MATERIAL EXTRACTION** A number of non-renewable natural resources are used in the manufacture of computer products. They include sand (to make glass for screens), oil (used to make plastics) and various metals used in wiring and circuit boards. Some of the metals used, such as silver, gold, copper and palladium, are precious and in short supply. Others, such as arsenic, cadmium and chromium, are hazardous and pose a serious health risk. **Radioactive** metals used in computer products, such as uranium and thorium, can **contaminate** air, soil and groundwater, and are toxic to human health. In some regions of the world, mining of raw materials is not properly controlled. Extraction causes extensive damage to the local environment, damaging UNIT 6 THE BIGGER PICTURE 24 COMPUTING AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY 245 **DID YOU KNOW?** China is the world's largest producer of rare-earth metals - a group of 17 chemical elements that, due to their unique magnetic, luminescent and electrochemical properties, help improve the performance of computing technology and make it more energy efficient. **GENERAL VOCABULARY** **semiconductor** a substance that can conduct electricity under some conditions but not others, making it a good medium for the control of electrical current **exposure** being affected by something harmful because you are in the same place as it the landscape with holes and waste heaps, contaminating water supplies and putting wildlife habitats in danger. Poorly equipped miners working in dangerous conditions run the risk of being seriously injured. They are also at risk of suffering long-term breathing illnesses, such as silicosis, bronchitis or lung cancer. **PRODUCTION** Once extracted, the raw materials are sent to factories - often thousands of miles away - to be manufactured into components, such as circuit boards, chips, screens, disk drives and cases. In turn, the components are sent onwards for assembly into finished products. The manufacture of computing technology uses a lot of energy. Large amounts of non-renewable fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, are used during the process. Burning such fuels produces carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) and contributes to global warming. **Semiconductors** are present in every piece of computing technology. Manufacturing semiconductors uses a very large amount of water. For example, a factory producing 40 000 semiconductors a month uses around 20 million liters of water a day - it compares with the consumption of a city with a population of 60 000. This can result in water shortages in areas where semiconductor factories are located. Untreated wastewater discharge can cause environmental pollution. The United Nations University has estimated that the manufacture of a computer and monitor weighing 24 kg requires ten times the amount of fossil fuels (240 kg). This is approximately the same weight of chemicals and around 1500 liters of water. This table lists six of the most hazardous materials used in the manufacture of computing technology. Research indicates that **exposure** to these materials is harmful to human health, causing both physical and neurological damage. Furthermore, chemical emissions and wastewater from manufacturing plants put people living nearby at risk. There is growing recognition of the need to address this problem. Most countries have regulations restricting the use of hazardous substances. The EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive restricts the use of all six of the materials listed in the table above. This forces computing technology manufacturers to replace them with safer materials. The China RoHS2, published by the Chinese authorities in 2019, introduces a voluntary certification system to demonstrate compliance with hazardous substances. | MATERIAL | EXAMPLES OF USE | | :--------------------------- | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Cadmium | A metal used in the manufacture of rechargeable batteries, printer inks and toners. | | Lead | A metal used in the manufacture of circuit boards and cable sheathing. | | Mercury | A metal used in the manufacture of LCD screens. | | Hexavalent chromium | A chemical compound used to make casings. | | Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) | Toxic compounds added to plastics, circuit boards and connectors to make them more fire retardant. | | Polybrominated diphenylethers | | 246 UNIT 6 THE BIGGER PICTURE 24 COMPUTING AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY substances. It lists the same six hazardous substances as the EU directive. The United States has similar regulations in the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). **GENERAL VOCABULARY** **impose** to force a rule to be followed At the same time, governments are **imposing** tough recycling targets. These are designed to ensure that more reusable material is from unused computing technology. The aim is to reuse the material so that fewer raw materials are needed and reserves of limited resources are protected. Growing public awareness is putting pressure on manufacturers to improve working conditions in their plants and **impose** stricter requirements on their component suppliers. **USAGE** **DID YOU KNOW?** A lot of energy is wasted while a computer or printer sits idle. Using the 'sleep mode' when a device is not in use can reduce consumption by more than 50 per cent. The amount of energy consumed in the manufacturing process seems insignificant when compared with the energy required to keep mobile phones, computers, networks, telecommunication links, etc. up and running day after day. Even though each individual device doesn't require a huge amount of electricity, close to 2 billion connected PCs and laptops and more than 6 billion mobile devices collectively do. In recent years, considerable efforts have been made to improve the energy efficiency of computing devices. However, the amount of energy they actually consume depends on how they are used and what they are used for. The task that a computer is performing and the software being used are key determinants of the actual energy usage. High-end applications, complex calculations, 3-D modeling and video games use up a lot of power. **SUBJECT VOCABULARY** **carbon footprint** the amount of carbon dioxide an individual or organisation produces as a result of the energy they consume Cloud computing (see Unit 4) and data centres in particular are major energy users. Vast amounts of electricity are needed to power and cool all the computer equipment that is needed, putting them ahead of the aviation industry in terms of the energy they consume. The worst offenders are the small, inefficient data centres hosted by private organisations and government departments. They tend to be far less efficient than the large facilities operated by cloud providers such as Google and Apple. Energy efficiency measures and the use of renewable energy can significantly reduce the **carbon footprint** of data centres. Facebook, for example, has built a huge data centre in northern Sweden, just 100 km south of the Arctic Circle. Its location was selected because of its access to renewable hydroelectricity and the cold climate that helps to keep the servers cool. **ACTIVITY 1** **LAPTOP VERSUS DESKTOP** Research why using a laptop rather than a desktop is more energy efficient. **ACTIVITY 2** **ENERGY USE BY DATA CENTRES** Data centres consume large amounts of energy. 1 Research what this energy is used for. 2 List four measures that can be taken to make data centres are environmentally friendly. UNIT 6 THE BIGGER PICTURE 24 COMPUTING AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY 247 **DISPOSAL** ****DID YOU KNOW?** Electronic waste is expected to top 52 million tonnes globally by 2021 with only 20 per cent of it expected to be collected and recycled.* The disposal of unused computing technology represents another serious threat to the environment. The quantity of e-waste is growing at a tremendous rate. According to the UN's StEP Initiative, e-waste will soon weigh is much as eleven of the great Egyptian pyramids. Although great efforts are now being made to recycle more e-waste, large amounts are still sent overseas to developing countries where they are dumped in landfill sites. This can have serious consequences for the environment and public health. The problem is made worse by the fact that the developing nations themselves are generating more and more waste of their own. E-waste that is not recycled properly can be a serious health and environmental issue. As you know, computer products contain a whole host of dangerous materials. Once a computer is dumped in a landfill site, the likelihood is that some, if not all, of these toxic substances will leak out into the ground, contaminating water supplies, infiltrating the food chain and polluting the air. For every 1 million mobile phones, 24 kg of gold, 250 kg of silver and 9 tonnes of copper can be recovered. The presence of these valuable metals in old computing technology is a strong reason for local people living near the landfill sites, many of whom are desperately poor, to try to recover them. However, taking apart old computer equipment without protective clothing and specialist training is extremely dangerous. People who do so risk **exposure** to hazardous materials such as mercury and lead and are in danger of inhaling toxic fumes. **ACTIVITY 3** **EXTENDING THE LIFESPAN OF TECHNOLOGY** 'One person's rubbish is another person's treasure.' Research, then briefly describe two initiatives (new schemes) that aim to extend the life of preowned computing technology. **GENERAL VOCABULARY** **e-opportunity** a chance to benefit by using electronic devices **state-of-the-art** the best and most modern of its type Most countries around the world set regulations and targets for the collection, recycling and recovery of computing technology and other electronic items. The aim of responsible recycling is to recover valuable metals and reusable components such as plastic, glass and metal, and to dispose of dangerous substances safely. Major manufacturers of computing technology now have recycling programmes. In developing countries there are some promising initiatives to create **state-of-the-art** recycling plants that can turn e-waste into an **e-opportunity**. **ACTIVITY 4** **REDUCING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT** 1 Provide three possible environmental impacts of using computing technology. 2 Can you think of one possible action that could be taken to reduce each of them? 248 UNIT 6 THE BIGGER PICTURE 24 COMPUTING AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY **PRESERVING THE ENVIRONMENT** **DID YOU KNOW?** Green computing refers to the efficient use of resources in computing. It makes companies and individuals responsible for producing and using technology with a minimal carbon footprint. The main emphasis is on energy efficiency, use of safer materials during the manufacturing process and promoting environmentally friendly systems. Things are not all bad. Computing technology can help to fight climate change, provide disaster warnings, protect endangered species and habitats, and reduce energy consumption. **CLIMATE CHANGE** NASA is analysing satellite data and measuring sea surface temperatures to learn more about how and why sea levels are rising. Networks of wireless sensor probes are used to gather information about glaciers. The probes are placed under the surface of the ice measurement temperature, pressure, stress, weather and sub-glacial movement. A base station collects the data from them. The system is helping scientists to understand more about the speed at which glaciers are melting. Researchers at the University of Oxford are using spare home computer time to establish if global warming is to blame for heavy flooding in the UK in recent years. **EARLY WARNING** Tsunami early warning systems use sensor networks to detect approaching tsunamis and a communications infrastructure to issue timely warnings so that coastal areas at risk can be evacuated. **CONSERVATION** Information from GPS and satellites is being used to track Malaysia elephants. The results are analysed by computer to help improve conservation strategies and assess the effectiveness of the Malaysian Government's elephant conservation programme. A photo of a lioness wearing tracking device. GPS collars help to monitor and conserve wildlife. Miniature transponders fitted to bees allow scientists to study the effects of disease and pesticides. Mobile phones are being used to listen out for illegal logging activities in the rainforest and provide rangers with real-time alerts. **HINT** Make sure you give real positive and negative examples of how computing technology affects the environment. **ENERGY** Engineers at Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK are working on a project to make buildings more energy efficient. Sensors in each room monitor light levels, temperature, how many people are present and electricity consumption. Real-time analysis of the room data enables automatic adjustment of electricity usage. The latest generation of giant solar energy farms uses sensors to track the movement of the sun. Computer-controlled motors adjust the position of the solar panels to optimise power generation. Developments in battery storage allow surplus electricity to be stored. UNIT 6 THE BIGGER PICTURE 24 COMPUTING AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY 249 **CHECKPOINT** **Strengthen** S1: Can you think of two hazardous substances that are used in the manufacture of computing technology? S2: Why is dumping e-waste in landfill sites harmful to the environment? S3: List two ways of reducing the environmental damage caused by data centres. S4: List two ways in which computing technology is helping to preserve the environment. **Challenge** C1: Summarise the health risks associated with the manufacture and disposal of computing technology. C2: What are three ways in which computing technology can help to reduce energy consumption? How confident do you feel about your answers to these questions? If you're not sure you answered them well, re-read this section and have another go at the activities. **SUMMARY** * Some of the materials used in the manufacture of computer components are non-renewable and in short supply. Others are dangerous and pose a risk to human health. * The Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) regulations around the world restrict the use of hazardous materials in computing technology, forcing producers to find more environmentally friendly alternatives. * Computing technology consumes huge amounts of energy. Data centres are one of the worst offenders. * Energy efficiency measures and the use of renewable energy can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of computing technology. * There is a possible health risk, especially for children, from exposure to the electromagnetic fields generated by wireless devices, such as smartwatches and smart clothing. * Disposal of e-waste in landfill sites without controls in place poses a significant threat to the environment. * Regulations around the world set targets for responsible recycling of e-waste. * Computing technology is helping to preserve the environment in a number of ways, including monitoring and modeling climate change, conservation and smart energy. ## 25. PRIVACY 250 UNIT 6 THE BIGGER PICTURE 25 PRIVACY # 25 PRIVACY There are concerns about the privacy implications of computer technologies, such as face recognition and automatic number plate recognition, and the impact this might have on the individual. You will look at how these computer technologies collect personal data and how they might threaten privacy. **LEARNING OBJECTIVES** Explain why computing technology poses a threat to privacy Weigh up the benefits and drawbacks of giving away personal information **SUBJECT VOCABULARY** **ethics** a set of moral principles that govern a person's behavior **privacy** the right to be left alone and free from unwanted scrutiny and intrusion **personal data** information that is personal and unique to an individual **GENERAL VOCABULARY** **ethical** concerned with what is morally right or wrong **invasion of privacy** when your right to be alone and not watched by other people is taken away without your permission Now that you know about the damaging environmental impact that computing technology has, does it makes you have second thoughts about swapping your smartphone for the latest model? Is your concern for the environment more important than your 'need' for a new phone? If so, you are making an **ethical** decision. **Ethics** relate to what is right and wrong and govern a person's behavior. An action might be legal, but not necessarily ethical. For example, it's perfectly legal to leave your old desktop computer gathering dust in the attic. But if you know that someone in a developing country would benefit from having it, the right thing to do might be to pass it on to them. Computing technology confers a wide range of social and economic benefits, but it also creates challenging ethical issues. **Privacy** and security are two of them. While most people would agree that computing technology has helped to create a much more open society, some would argue that it comes at too high a cost. The amount of personally identifiable information that is gathered, stored and analysed represents a massive **invasion of privacy**. **PERSONAL DATA** **DID YOU KNOW?** Facebook has the biggest database of faces in the world, with over 2.2 billion photos posted and tagged to the website every day. You may receive a message from Facebook letting you know that you appear on someone's photo even though you are not tagged. Facebook knows what you look like! Every time you post an update on social media, sign up for an online account, use a web-based email service or a search engine you are adding to a store of **personal data** that is held about you This includes information about where you live, what you look like, who your friends are, your likes and dislikes, your bank account details, products you're interested in buying, the places you visit. This **personal data** is stored on servers that belong to online services, such as Facebook and Google, not to you. Every organisation you come into contact with, not just the online companies, is likely to collect information about you. Your school, for example, stores your attendance record, your end-of-year exam results, which books you've borrowed from the library, the after-school activities you take part in and much more besides. Does this worry you? Some people are very concerned about the amount of personal information that is collected. It is often without their permission and they believe they have UNIT 6 THE BIGGER PICTURE 25 PRIVACY 251 **SUBJECT VOCABULARY** **identity theft** the stealing of another person's personal details, such as their bank account number, sort code or passport number, for the purpose of making purchases and running up debts in their name little or no control over this. They are worried about who has access to it, what they are using it for, how secure it is and how accurate it is. Weak security could result in personal information falling into the wrong hands. This makes people vulnerable to phishing attacks, scams, **identity theft** and fraud. Sometimes the information is inaccurate, but getting it changed or removed is extremely difficult, if not impossible. It is quite common for inaccurate information about a person to follow them throughout their entire life, affecting how they are seen and treated by others. **DID YOU KNOW?** Around the world, data protection legislation controls how governments and organisations can use personal data. Many of them follow similar guidelines, such as: * Data must be processed fairly and lawfully. * Data must be obtained and used only for the specific and lawful purposes for which it was collected. * Data must be adequate, relevant and not excessive. * Data must be accurate and up to date. * Data must be kept for no longer than necessary. * Data must be kept secure. **ACTIVITY 5** **SEARCHING FOR YOURSELF** **DID YOU KNOW?** Cookies are small data files that keep a record of your web browsing history. They record which websites you visit and how often, which products or services you buy or show an interest in. Cookies enable online stores to learn a lot about you. There is legislation in Europe that gives consumers the right to opt out of having data collected in this way. Unlike a cookie, spyware is a computer program stored on your hard drive (usually without you realising it's there) that collects information about you and transmits it to a third party. It represents another serious threat to privacy. What information can you find out about yourself by typing your name into a search engine? Is it accurate? What sort of impression of you does it portray? One reason why so many people give away information about themselves is that it enables an organisation to understand their needs better and provide them with a more personalized service. For example, setting up an account with an online supplier makes it faster and more convenient to purchase from them. But are these benefits more important than the drawbacks? You might not mind that an online retailer knows who your favorite band is if it means you get to hear quickly when their next album is released. But is it right to target a financially vulnerable person with adverts for products they will want but can't afford? **BIG DATA** Data analysts are able to learn more and more about us and gain insights into our behavior by analysing huge volumes of personal data gathered from various sources, such as. Analysis of so-called 'big data' can benefit society. For example, by helping to identify adverse side effects of drugs that might otherwise go unnoticed, optimising energy use in cities and providing insights into the spread of disease.Unit 6 The Bigger Picture 252 UNIT 6 THE BIGGER PICTURE 25 PRIVACY But is the price we pay too high? Where do we draw the line? Big data comprises large amounts of information, each piece of which on its own could be seen as being harmless, for example your phone number, what music you download, your hobbies, etc. However, when collated together these individual bits of information produce a very accurate, detailed profile of an individual. It reveals far more about them than they might have disclosed. This might lead to the individual experiencing **identity theft** or an intruder illegally accessing personal information through social engineering. **ACTIVITY 6** **THE BENEFITS OF BIG DATA** * Find two examples of how society is benefiting from big data analysis. **SURVEILLANCE** Have you any idea how often you've been watched on CCTV today? Could a drone have been hovering overhead taking aerial photographs of you on your walk to school? If you've driven anywhere by car, travelled by public transport or been in a shop, the chances are you've been recorded by some form of **surveillance technology**. Most people are willing to allow the security forces to use **surveillance technology** to track people's movements and tap their phones if it keeps them safe from harm. But what if it were used by companies to monitor your shopping habits or by criminals noting the time you leave the house each morning? It's quite common for employers to use hidden cameras to check up on their staff. Is this acceptable? Some people believe that use of **surveillance technology** goes too far. In 2013 Edward Snowden, a so-called 'whistle-blower', raised awareness of the extent to which governments worldwide are now monitoring and spying on their citizens. **ACTIVITY 7** **INVADING PRIVACY** * The right to privacy must be balanced against the needs of society. In a group, think about two situations in which you believe an **invasion of privacy** is justified. Present your arguments. Image of a "SMILE YOU'RE ON CCTV sign". **SUBJECT VOCABULARY** **surveillance technology** CCTV, drones, number plate recognition, bugging and tracking devices used to monitor and record people's activities, often without their knowledge **whistle-blower** someone who draws attention to the activities of an organisation or person believed to be acting illegally or unethically **DID YOU KNOW?** Police forces can track vehicle movements in real time using automatic number plate recognition and CCTV. Records can be kept for two years to be analysed for intelligence. CCTV combined with facial recognition software also enables the police to identify and track specific individuals. UNIT 6 THE BIGGER PICTURE 25 PRIVACY 253 **SUBJECT VOCABULARY** **location-based services** services that enable people to access and share real-time location information online **LOCATION-BASED SERVICES** With the help of **location-based services** and Wi-Fi, people can share their current location, arrange to meet up with friends nearby, check in to a venue, find their way to a particular location and much more. A disadvantage is that **location-based services** also allow other people to track your movements, find out where you live and what you are doing. This can be dangerous and represents a huge **invasion of privacy**. **ACTIVITY 8** **LOCATION-BASED SERVICES** * Can you provide three ways in which **location-based services** can benefit a user? Can you also provide three risks associated with their use? **PRIVACY-ENHANCING TOOLS** Privacy-enhancing tools, while not 100 per cent effective, do give some protection agains**t invasion of privacy**. This table lists some of the most popular of these tools. | TOOL | PURPOSE | | :--------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Encryption | Prevents unauthorized people from reading your data. | | Cookie cleaners, anti-spyware and ad blockers | Software that detects and removes cookies, spyware and adware installed on your computer. | | Identity management service | A trusted third party holds evidence of your identity and issues you with an identifier that enables you to conduct transactions with other parties without revealing any personal information about yourself. | | Password manager | Stores all your website login information in an encrypted password database with a master password, which is the only one you have to remember. | **ACTIVITY 9** **ONLINE DATA BREACHES** **DID YOU KNOW?** Ransomware is a type of malicious software. It blocks access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid. It is often delivered by emails which contain attachments. The 'biggest ransomware outbreak in history', caused by software called WannaCry, occurred in 2017. It infected computers in 150 countries, including the international shipper FedEx, Spanish telecommunications company Telefonica, Telefonica Argentina and the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom. The most affected countries were Russia, Taiwan, Ukraine and India. * "Through online data breaches, personal and financial details stored by a company can be stolen. In pairs, research the implications of this breach for both the customers and the company. 254 UNIT 6 THE BIGGER PICTURE 25 PRIVACY **CHECKPOINT** **Strengthen** S1: Can you think of two ways in which an individual's personal data could end up stored in databases owned by a third party? S2: What might happen if personal information falls into the wrong hands? S3: List two privacy-enhancing tools and describe what they do. **Challenge** C1: Why do some people decide that the benefits if revealing personal information about themselves are worth the disadvantages? C2: Can you think of a situation where the right to privacy is less important than the needs of society? How confident do you feel about your answers to these questions? If you're not sure you answered them well, re-read this section and have another go at the activities. **SUMMARY** * Computing technology enables organisations to gather, store and analyse vast quantities of personal information about the people they come into contact with. * Individuals give away all sorts of personal information about themselves online. * Collecting and analyzing information about the people they comes into contact with enables organizations to provide a more personalized service. * Big data analysis benefits society at the expense of many individuals' privacy. * **Surveillance technology** helps keep us secure but invades our privacy. It is difficult to determine what level of surveillance is acceptable. ## 26. DIGITAL INCLUSION Unit 6 The Bigger Picture - (26 Digital Inclusion) 255 # 26 DIGITAL INCLUSION **SUBJECT VOCABULARY** **digital inclusion** ensuring that everyone has affordable access to computing technology and the necessary skills to take advantage of it **digital divide** the gap between people who are technology-empowered and those who are technology-excluded **GENERAL VOCABULARY** **affordable** enough so that most people can afford to buy it Digital devices have had many beneficial effects on the lives of people using them. But not everyone has access to digital devices, leading to inequality in society. Governments around the world have designed legislation and policies in the hope that the benefits are spread to all. **LEARNING OBJECTIVES** Explain how people benefit from being 'technology-empowered' and the disadvantages of being 'technology-excluded' Describe measures that are being taken to promote digital inclusion Computing technology is a great enabler, giving many people access to news, information, products and services at any time, wherever they are. But those people who neither have the opportunity nor knowledge to use this technology are excluded from the advantages it provides. Is this fair? **Digital inclusion** is about providing everyone with **affordable** to computing technology and the skills use it. The gap between those who are 'technology-empowered' and those who are 'technology-excluded' is known as the **digital divide**. There is a **digital divide** between industrialized and developing countries and also between people who live in the same country. **IMPACT** There are many reasons why technology exclusion is not a good idea. | TOOL | PURPOSE | | :-------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Information and services | The Internet is becoming the default option for accessing information, public services and entertainment. | | Employment | Having poor digital literacy skills makes it harder to find a job and limits employment opportunities. Individuals might only have access to poorly paid work with little prospect of progression. | | Democracy | The Internet gives people a voice and lets them express their views to a worldwide audience. This is particularly important where citizens have limited freedom of expression. | | Economic growth | Businesses that are able to exploit computing technology have a competitive advantage over those that cannot. | | Saving money | Paying bills and shopping online often saves consumers money and gives them better protection | | Social isolation | Having access to the Internet helps people to keep in touch with friends and relatives. | 256 UNIT 6 THE BIGGER PICTURE 26 DIGITAL INCLUSION **TOWARDS DIGITAL INCLUSION** ****DID YOU KNOW?** Project Loon, an initiative by Google, hopes to increase global connectivity using balloons flying 20 km up into the stratosphere. Loon has taken the most essential components of a cell tower, then redesigned them so they are light and durable enough to be carried by a balloon. Solar panels power the equipment.* There are many initiatives to promote digital inclusion, such as: * A subsidy programme for low-income households has been started in Colombia by the government. It includes subsidies for fixed Internet access. Also, in partnership with the private sector, schools in areas have been connected via satellite. * The government of India has created an online gateway of public information and on-demand services, such as national identity and passport services, employment as well as tax and pension information and services. This is to enhance the relevance of Internet content for its citizens. * Kenya has established a digital learning programme to drive primary education to enhance digital skills and improve the quality of education. * The government of Thailand have established more than 20 rural Internet centres nationwide. The centres strengthen 1CT skills among students, youth and local communities and help to promote social and economic development in some of the most remote areas of the country. According to The World Bank, 77 percent of the world’s population already live world Within range of a mobile phone network. In areas with a limited or nor-existent landline infrastructure, mobile phone technology will the gap. Even though the number of phones per people In poor countries le much lower Then is the developed world, they are having a huge impact. **ACTIVITY 10** **MOBILE USE PHONE** **GENERAL VOCABULARY** Using your own online research, find some examples of how mobile phones are using in different countries to encourage use of digital resources, Write a brief report to summarise your findings. **ACTI VITY 11** **REDUCING EX CLUSION DIGITAAL** Can you name five actions a government can take to reduce digital exclusion? **DID YOU KNOW?** One of the advantages of mobile data access is the ability to use GPS to plan routes. However, in many rural and remote areas around the world, there are no addresses, postcodes on enter into a navigation app Longitude and t coordinates ar very long difficult enter corectly (e.g. 5134743863117572) To solve this problem, « system called what divides the surface the globe into a grid of 3m x 3m squares. Each one is assigned a unique Therefore, you can follow a route to anywhere in the-it doesn't have Look At The Wen And Find Out Your THRE Word address: httpsitwhat.com/daringlion.race Image of a computer lab UNIT 6 THE BIGGER PICTURE 26 DIGITAL INCLUSION 257 **CHECKPOINT** **Strengthen** S1 What is meant by the terms technology-empowered and technology S2 List three drawbacks of being technology-excluded. S3 List four factors that contribute to the digital divide. S4 Can you think of two ways of providing access to the internet in areas **Challenge** C1 Access to the Internet is a key factor in reducing the digital divide. 2 further measurement that government can take to promote digital **ACTIVITY 11** Can you name five actions a government can take to reduce digital exclusion? *According to The World Bank, 77 percent of the World’s population already live World Within range of a mobile phone network. In areas with a limited or nor-existent landline infrastructure, mobile phone technology will The Gap, Even though the number of phones per people in poor countries le much lower then is the developed world, they are having a huge impact. **SU MMARY** + Digital inclusion to the a 12 + Number the + the computer a ## 27. PROFESSIONALISM 258 27 PROFESSIONALISM #