Legal issues
Computer use has brought new concerns and new crimes. With the rise of the internet, computers are increasingly being used for illegal activities.
Computers might be used unlawfully in many ways, for example:
- allowing someone to illegally share personal Units of information. In computing there can be different data types, including integers, characters and Boolean. Data is often acted on by instructions.
- helping to steal financial Data that has meaning, not just a number or a letter., such as credit card numbers or bank account details
- helping to illegally copy and distribute films, television programmes and music
- extorting information or blackmailing someone
The internet allows people to commit crimes remotely. For example, a A person who tries to gain unauthorised access to a computer. could gain access to a computer on the other side of the world.
To help protect people, their data and their work, several laws have been introduced in the UK:
- The Legislation passed by parliament that governs the protection of personal data in the UK.
- The Defines and criminalises a number of offences involving the use of a computer, eg unauthorised access to computer systems.
- The The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 gives the creator of published material the control over the way it is used.
- One of several copyright licences that allows free sharing and distribution of a product.
- The Legislation introduced to give the public the right to access information recorded by public sector organisations.