This deep dive covers Deep Dive: Balancing Benefits and Risks within Ethical Issues for GCSE Computer Science. Revise Ethical Issues in 3.8 Ethical, Legal, Cultural and Environmental Impacts for GCSE Computer Science with 15 exam-style questions and 12 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 3 of 6 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Deep Dive: Balancing Benefits and Risks
Benefits:
- Finding missing persons quickly
- Catching criminals and preventing crime
- Convenient phone unlocking and authentication
- Enhanced security at airports and borders
Risks:
- Mass surveillance concerns and loss of anonymity
- Bias against certain ethnic groups
- Privacy invasion in public spaces
- Potential misuse by authoritarian governments
- Data breaches exposing biometric information
Why this matters: Ethical decisions require weighing these factors carefully. There's rarely a simple answer - it depends on context, safeguards, and societal values. Computer scientists must consider the broader impact of their work beyond just technical capability.
Practice questions for Ethical Issues
Which of the following best describes an ethical issue in computing?
Explain what is meant by the digital divide and describe two ways it can affect people who do not have access to technology.