GE -5 (LIVING IN THE IT ERA) MODULE 4

INFORMATION, CONTROL, AND PRIVACY

At the end of this module, the students should be able to:

1. Distinguish a physical resource from a conceptual resource

2. Identify the characteristics of information as a resource
3. Analyze the phenomenon of information overload brought by high internet penetration
4. Explain the major points of the revised Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines (Republic
Act No. 10372) and
5. Highlight the importance of information control and privacy by creating a video
advertisement/awareness campaign.

KEY TERMS
BSBA- Business software Alliance
CSS- Content Scramble System
DRM- Digital rights management
DVD- Digital versatile disc
IPR- Intellectual property rights
NDA- Non-disclosure agreements
NFC- Near field communicatios
PM- Private message
Conceptual resources- are non-tangible and considered valuable for what they represent.
Copyright- is a set of exclusive rights granted by a state to the creator of an original work or his
or her assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for public disclosure of the work, and
includes the right to copy, distribute, and adapt the work.
Data scrambling- is done to hide sensitive information from unauthorized users.
Digital rights- pertain to the permission of individuals to legitimately perform actions involving
the use of a computer, any electronic device, or a communications device.
Digital rights management- is used to described the processes by which the author or
publisher of a work exerts his or her rights to control what the purchaser of his or her works is
entitled to do.
Facts- are considered relevants truths which have been validated and identified.
Information- refers to processed data.
Information control-is allowing those who have appropriate authority access to and use of
information on the basis of the authority that they hold.
Intellectual property- is a number of distinc types of intangible assets for which a set of
exclusives rights are recognized.
Knowledge- refers to useful information.
Metadata- is used to identify rhe owner’s name, author, and date of purchase, among other
pertinent pieces of information.
Mobile commerce (m-commerce)- is the delivery of electronic commerce capabilities directly
into the consumer’s hand, anywhere, via wireless technology.

Patent- is a set of exclusive rights granted by a state to an inventor fot a limited period of time in
exchange for the public disclosure of an invention.
Personal data breach- is a subset of an security breach that actually leads to accidental or
unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure of, or access to, personal data
transmitted, stored or otherwise processed.
Physical resources- are tangible and can be easily identified.
Scrambling- is accomplished by the addition of components to the original signal or the
changing of some important components of the original signal in order to make extraction of the
original signal difficult.
Security incident- is an event or occurrence that affects or tends to affect data protection, or
may compromise availability, integrity, or confidentiality.
Software piracy- is the unauthorized copying or distribution of copyrighted software. It can be
done through copying, downloading, sharing, selling, or installing multiple copies of software
onto personal or work computers.
Trade secret- is the term used for any method, formula, device, process, or any information that
gives the business a unique competitive advantage over its competitors.
Trademark- is a distinctive sign used by an individual, business organization, or other legal
entity to identity products or business to consumers. The mark comes from a unique source,
and it distinguishes its product (trademark) or services (service mark) from the others.

INTRODUCTION TO RESOURCES

Organizations treat company assets, such as buildings, equipment, and their manpower
is important resources. Resources are the total means available to a company for increasing
production or profit, including land, labor, capital and raw materials.
Without resources, organizations would case to exist. Imagine a bank without money, a
manufacturing plant without forklifts, or a school without teachers. These resources are known
as physical resources.. They are tangible and can be easily identified. Physical resources
usually start from acquisition and are then assembled to be available for use when needed.
Very often, the assembly process entails converting an essentially raw material into a refined
form, such as wood, cement and steel for building construction. Once these resources have
been assembled, a manager strives to maximize their use; this includes allocating space for
office use and identifying keys areas in the building plans. Finally, the manager asks for
replacement or repairs and maintenance of these resources at critical time before they become
inefficient or obsolete.
The other type of resources is called conceptual resources. Conceptual resources are
non-tangible and are considered valuable for what they represent rather that their physical make
up. Money is considered a conceptual resource as each paper bill represents a specific
monetary value as opposed to the paper where it is printed. The same goes for human
resources. While everyone can be considered employees in the company, their skill, knowledge,
and job experience set them apart from one another, thus identifying the staff, managers,
executives, and laborers.

INFORMATION AS A RESOURCES
Information can be simply defined as “Facts about something or someone that are provided or
learned.

EXPANDABLE. Information can be expanded without comprimising its integrirty.

COMPRESSIBLE. Although expanded information can give a more detailed explanation, it may
not always be needed.

TRANSPORTABLE. Information, especially digital information, is easily transporable. With the

use of the internet and various technologies, information can be sent though any of the
following;
1. send via email
2. share via facebook
3. copy onto a flash drive
4. upload on youtube

DIFFUSIVE. Gossip or rumors tend to spread easily. Unfortunately, the same applies to any
kind of information- be it true or not.
SHARABLE. Since information can be easily spread, it is considered sharable as well.
Information can be kept calling it a secret.

VALUABLE INFORMATION

Information is said to be valuable if it has the following characteristics (Stair & Reynolds, 2016)

ACCURATE. Accurate information is error free.

COMPLETE. Complete information contains all the important facts.

ECONOMICAL. Information should be relatively economical to produce. Decision makers must

always balance the value of information. With the cost of producing it. With the spread of the
internet, information dissemination has become easier, faster, and a lot cheaper. However, is
the price worth it for the integrity of the information.

RELIABLE. Reliable information can be depended on. In many cases, the reliability of
information depends on the validity of the data collection method. In other cases, reliability
depends on the source of information, which brings us back to valuable information being
economical.

FLEXIBLE. Flexible information can be used different purposes. Depending on the situation,
personal information can be used for variety of ways.

RELEVANT. Relevant information is important to the decision-maker. For example, your

assignment calls for searching “Parts of the computer” online. You do not visit sites that tackle
“parts of the computer body” because they are irrelevant to your research topic.

SIMPLE. Information should also be simple, not overly complex. Sophisticated and detailed
information may not be needed. Complex information may sometimes lead to confusion which
could result in inaccuracy of details.

TIMELY. Timely information is delivered when it is needed. This is the true in the case of
weather predictions, stock market forecast, and traffic management.

VERIFIABLE. This means that information can be checked for correctness and authenticity.
Most author include references, bibliography, or citations in their works to enable readers to
verify the content.

ACCESSIBLE. Information should be easily accessible by authorized users to be obtained in

the right format at the right time to meet their needs.

Information, as a source, has four characteristics, namely it (1) has zero marginal cost; (2) is
non-rivalrous (3) is non-exclusive; and (4) does not exhibit high degrees of transparency
(Leickly,2004)

ZERO MARGINAL COST

The cost of producing the first copy of an information good may be substantial, but the cost of
the producing (or reproducing) additional copies is negligible.

NON-RIVALROUS
Simultaneous consumption of information by consumers is possible. Movies nowadays are sold
not only as DVD copies. There are also digital formats which anyone can be watch online or
download on their mobile devices, either as a rental or paid subscription.

NON-EXCLUSIVE
Exclusion is not a natural property of information good, though it is possible to construct
exclusion artificially. However, the nature of information is that if it is known, it is difficult to
exclude others from its use. Through emails and SMS, one can be identify only intended
recipients of the message through specific email address or a phone number. However, emails
and SMS have the capability of forwarding the exact information to other recipients, without the
original sender knowing it. This is much more evident in social media such as Facebook. In
which a “share” automatically means sending to everyone else.

NO TRANSPARENCY
To evaluate the information, the information must be known, so one has to invest in learning
how to evaluate it. A programmer undergoing boot camp training to learn a new programming
language needs to invest time, money, and effort. The more complicated the training, the more
expensive the cost and the longer the time needed to learn it.

INFORMATION OVERLOAD

Information is now available so quickly, ubiquitously, and inexpensively. This is because

information is produced at rapidly increasing rates due to the following reasons:

 Easy Duplication and transmission of information

 Increase in communication methods
 Growth archives of historical information

Mobile Social Media

Mobile social media is the assessing of social media sites, such as Facebook and Snapchat,
using a mobile device. The device may have an app installed to open Instagram, for example, or
it can use a browser installed in the mobile device to open Twitter. A study conducted by
ComScore in 2016 reveals the impact of social media on internet users. The same study also
shows that nearly 80% of individuals browse through their social media accounts using their
mobile phones.
M-commerce
M-commerce or mobile commerce was a term used during the 1997 Global Mobile Commerce
Forum by Kevin Duffy. He describe it as the delivery of electronic commerce capabilities directly
into the consumer’s hand anywhere, via wireless technology. Companies are now using digital
platforms to market their products and services.
Industries that are now embracing m-commerce include:
1. Financial Services- Banks have introduced online banking a few years back. Majority of the
bank transactions such as money transfers, bills payment, and even stock portfolios and stock
transactions can now be done using the bank’s mobile app.
2. Mobile Ticketing- As payments can be done online, receipts of transactions can also be sent
on mobile devices.
3. Service/Retail- It does not just includes retail items. It also includes content purchasing such
as music, movies, and images, among others. There are also gaming applications in which
users buy virtual goods for power boost or upgrade to the next game level.
4. Information Services- These include the delivery of news, stock quotes, sports figures,
emergency reports, and weather and traffic updates to a single mobile device.

INFORMATION CONTROL
It is about allowing those who have appropriate authority access to and use of information on
the basis of the authority that they hold.
Software Policy
According to The Software Alliance (www.bsa.org) (2018), software policy is “the unauthorized
copying or distribution of copyrighted software… can be done through copying, downloading,
sharing, selling, or installing multiple copies of software onto personal or work computers.”
This typical scenario boils down to the fact that information is difficult to control. While measures
are in place, such as DVD region codes and such, Adam Thierer in 2011, identified four issues
which further complicate the problem on information control: (1) convergence, (2) scale, (3)
volume, and (4) unprecedented individual empowerment/ user-generation of content.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IP)

Intellectual property (IP) refers to a number of distinct types of intangible assets for which a set
of exclusive rights are recognized. IP includes musical, literacy, and artistic works such as
Taylor Swift’s new album, J. K. Rowling’s new book, and the latest iPhone. However, IP is not
just limited to these items. It can also include words, phrases, symbols, and even designs.
IP is any creation or product of the human mind and may be expressed in the form of original
ideas, expressions, and processes. Intellectual property rights (IPR) are the rights given to
persons over their creations. They usually give the creator an exclusive right over the use of his
or her creation for a certain period of time. According to the Intellectual Property Code of the
Philippines (Republic Act No. 8293 s. 1998), IPR consists of the following:
1. Copyright and related rights
2. Trademarks and service marks
3. Geographic indications
4. Industrial design
5. Patents
6. Layout designs (topographies) of Integrated Circuits (IC’s)
7. Protection of undisclosed information
COPYRIGHT AND RELATED RIGHTS
Copyright is a set of exclusive rights granted by a state to the creator of an original work
or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for public disclosure of the work, and
includes the right to copy, distribute, and adapt the work. Copyrights owners can license or
permanently transfer or assign their exclusive rights to others. Digital rights, on the other hand,
is the permission granted to individuals to legitimately perform actions involving the use of
computer, any electronic device, or a communications network.
DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMENT
Digital rights management (DRM) is used to describe the processes by which the author or
publisher of a work exerts his or her rights to control what the purchaser of the work is entitled to
do. This represents the control by which one can prevent a person or an organization from
copying, printing, editing, or otherwise making the privileged information available to other
people.
Thus, companies and organizations have come up with possible solutions to this digital
dilemma. The following are techniques designed to control access and reproduction of online
information:
1. Encryption- is the process of converting data or information in such a way that only
authorized parties can understand.
2. Serial Keys- also known as a product key or a software key, it is a series of alphanumeric
characters acting as a key to denote that the product or software is original.
3. Scrambling- data scrambling is done to hide sensitive information from unauthorized users.
It is accomplished by the addition of components to the original signal or changing some
important component of the original signal in order to make the extraction of the original signal
difficult.
4. Tag Embedding- similar to how pictures can include watermarks to denote information on
the owner of the picture, tag embedding does the same to information content.
PATENT
Is a set of exclusive rights granted by a state to an inventor for a limited period of time in
exchange for the public disclosure of an invention. The exclusive right granted to a patentee in
most countries is the right to prevent others from making, using, selling, or distributing the
patented invention without permission.
TRADEMARK
Is a distinctive sign used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify
the products or services to consumers.

DATA PRIVACY ACT 10173

This law defines sensitive personal information as being:

 About an individual’s race, ethnic origin, marital status, age, color, and religion,
philosophical, or political affiliations;
 About an individual’s health, education, genetic or sexual life of a person, or to any
proceeding or any offense committed or alleged to have committed;
 Issued by government agencies “peculiar” (unique) to an individual, such as social
security number; and
 Marked as classified by an Executive Order or an act of Congress.

All processing of sensitive and personal information is prohibited except in circumstances. The
exception are:

 Consent of the data subject;

 Pursuant to law that does not require consent;
 Necessity to protect the life and health of a person;
 Necessity for medical treatment; and
 Necessity to protect the lawful rights of data subjects in court proceedings, legal
proceedings, or regulation.
Reference(s):
Romina R. Caoili-Tayuan & Mia V. Eleazar (2019). Living in the IT Era. C & E Publishing, Inc. 839 EDSA,
South Triangle Quezon City, Philippines.

GE-5 (LIVING IN THE IT ERA)

OUTPUT NO. ______

Name: ______________________________ Year/Section&Class_______________ Date:_____________

A. ESSAY. How do you protect your personal information online? What is the importance of information
control and privacy?

B. Identify a game you are familiar with and have played frequently online or on your mobile phone.
Explain briefly the mechanics of the game and the reasons why you like playing this game. List the game
items that players often buy to eiher improve their gaming skills or upgrade their avatars. Identify the
items that need virtual money and those that require real money. Give the advantages and disadvantages
of having your experience goods.

Follow this format.

Title of the game: _____________________________________________________________

Mechanics of the game:

Reasons why you like this game:

Game items often buy:

Items that require virtual money Items that require real money
Advantages Disadvantages