Unit 4: Societal Impacts

Introduction
We are living in an era called the information age where most of our activities are technology
influenced, but it has also raised specific issues & problems related to society, law and ethics.

Digital Footprint
Digital footprints are the records and traces individuals leave behind as they use the Internet. Digital
footprints are permanently stored, anything you do, publish or post online may be there
permanently, and won't be washed away. They are also known as 'Digital Tattoos'/ 'Digital
Shadow'/ 'Cyber shadow'/ 'Electronic Footprint'. These include:
 Your interaction on social media
 Your friend circle on social media sites
 Sites you visit Be careful about
 Online purchases • What you share online
 Locations visited through Facebook checkins, etc. • Where you share
• With whom you share
There are two kinds of digital footprints we leave behind.
Active digital footprints which includes data that we
intentionally submit online. This would include emails we Be Smart about
write, or responses or posts we make on different websites
or mobile Apps, etc. • Sites you visit
The digital data trail we leave online unintentionally is • Emails you open
called passive digital footprints. This includes the data • Links you click
generated when we visit a website, use a mobile App,
browse Internet, etc.

Net and Communication Etiquettes

The word 'Netiquette' derives from the combination of words – 'net' (internet) and 'etiquette'
(manners). While online, you should be courteous, truthful and respectful of others.
The following is a list of netiquettes:
1. No copyright violation
2. Share the information and knowledge you have.
3. Respect privacy and freedom of personal expression.
4. While in a group or public forum, respect the diversity of people
5. Avoid cyber bullying
6. Think before sharing credentials with others on an online platform.
7. Keep personal information safe and protected through passwords.
8. Don’t feed the trolls which are started to upset the people or trigger quarrels.

The following is a list of Communication Etiquettes

1. Be precise and don't waste time in responding to unnecessary emails/ comments
2. Avoid very large attachments
3. Share large files using shared storage like Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive
4. Be polite and use non-aggressive language.
5. Be careful while making comments

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 The following is a list of Social Media Etiquettes
1. Use strong passwords and change them frequently.
2. Never share passwords with others.
3. Be careful about making friends online.
4. Never arrange to meet an online friend because it may not be safe.
5. Fake news, messages and posts are common in social networks. Apply your knowledge and
experience to check the validity of such posts.
6. Think before you upload any information/ file on the social network.

Data Protection
Data protection is the process of safeguarding important information from corruption, compromise
or loss. Examples of sensitive data include biometric information, health information, financial
information or other personal documents, images, audios or videos. The importance of data
protection increases as the amount of data created and stored continues to grow.

Intellectual property
Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human
intellect, and primarily encompasses copyrights, patents, and trademarks.

Intellectual property rights (IPR)

Intellectual property rights are the rights given to an individual over the invention of their own. They
usually give the creator an exclusive right over the use of his/her creation for a certain period of time.
There are three ways to protect intellectual property.
1. Patents: A Patent is usually granted for inventions. The inventor needs to apply for patenting.
The owner is given exclusive rights for a period of 20 years, during which, the owner can stop
others from making, using or selling the invention.

2. Trademarks: Trademark is a recognizable logo, name, design, symbol or slogan which

identifies products or services. A Trademark is also known as brand name. It should be
officially registered and legally restricted to the use of the specific person or the company.

3. Copyrights: Copyright is a legal right that grants the creator of an original work exclusive
rights to determine whether, and under what conditions, this original work may be used by
others. They are automatically granted of the creators and authors. They can be used for:
 Poems/ Thesis/Plays/ Literary/ musical/ dramatic works
 Choreographic works
 Paintings, graphic and sculptural works, architectural works
 Motion pictures and other audio visual works, sound recordings
 Computer programs, Software and Websites

Licensing:
A license is the legal term used to describe the terms under which people are allowed to
use the copyrighted material. End User License Agreement (EULA) contains the dos and
don’ts with respect to the software being purchased. It covers all clauses of software purchase,
viz., how many copies can be installed, whether source is available, whether it can be modified
and redistributed and so on.

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Intellectual property law
It deals with the rules for securing and enforcing legal rights to inventions, designs, and artistic
works. Just as the law protects ownership of personal property and real estate, so too does it protect
the exclusive control of intangible assets.

Violation of IPR

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the "stealing and publication" of someone else's intellectual work and representing it as
your own work without citing the source of information. Plagiarism takes many forms, but it falls
into three main categories: Using a source’s language without quoting, using information from a
source without attribution, paraphrasing a source in a form that stays too close to the original.

Copyright Infringement
Copyright infringement is when we use other person’s work without obtaining their permission to
use or we have not paid for it, if it is being sold. Example, we download an image from the Internet
and use it in our project.

Trademark Infringement
Trademark Infringement means unauthorised use of other’s trademark on products and services.

Free Software/Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)/FLOSS (Free Libre/Livre Open Source
Software)
It means software that is "Free" to use. This software can be studied, copied, redistributed freely and
even modified according to one's need without seeking any kind of permission. These provide 4
types of freedom as stated by Richard Stallman 1983.
Four kinds of freedom
► Freedom 0: to run the program for any purpose
► Freedom 1:to study how the program works
► Freedom 2: to redistribute copies.
► Freedom 3: to improve the program and release your improvements to the public.
Examples of free software: Linux, MySQL, Apache web server, OpenOffice.org office suite

Freeware
There do exist software which are actually "free" in the sense of price. These are known as Freeware.
But freeware may not come with the source code. This is done to prevent any sort of modification by
its users. Eg: Microsoft Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Skype, Adobe Reader

Proprietary software (neither open nor freely available)

Its use is regulated and further distribution and modification is either forbidden or requires special
permission by the supplier. Source code is not available. Eg: Microsoft Windows, MS Office

Shareware
It contains Right to redistribute copies but after a certain period of time license fee should be paid.
Source code is not available. It limits functionality after a trial period of 1-3 months. Eg: WinZip,
Wondershare YouTube Downloader, Kaspersky Anti-virus, Norton Anti-virus

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Public Licenses
The GNU General Public License (GPL) and the Creative Commons (CC) are two popular categories
of public licenses.
 CC is used for all kind of creative works like websites, music, film, literature, etc. CC enables
the free distribution of an otherwise copyrighted work. It is used when an author wants to
give people the right to share, use and build upon a work that they have created.
 GPL is primarily designed for providing public license to software. GNU GPL is another free
software license, which provides end users the freedom to run, study, share and modify the
software, besides getting regular updates.

Cyber Crime
Cybercrime is defined as a crime in which a computer and internet is used in an illegitimate way to
harm the user. It is defined as a crime in which computer is the medium of crime (hacking, phishing,
spamming), or the computer is used as a tool to commit crimes (extortion, data breaches, theft).

The list of Cyber Crimes includes

 Causing financial loss/ mental harassment
 Disable or damage data or services
 Spread viruses and other malware to steal private and confidential data
 Pornography
 Software piracy, copyright violation of software
 Fraud (credit card fraud, fraudulent use of ATM accounts, stock market transfers,
telecommunicationsfraud), theft of (electronic) money

1. Hacking: Hacking refers to gaining unauthorized access to a network or computer or digital files,
with an intention to steal or manipulate data or information to install malware.
Hacking, when done with a positive intent, is called ethical hacking. Such hackers are known as
white hat hackers and may exploit a website in order to discover its security loopholes or
vulnerabilities. A non-ethical hacker is the one who tries to steal sensitive data with the intent to
damage or bring down systems. They are called black hat hackers or crackers.

2. Phishing/ Information Theft: Phishing is the fraudulent act of acquiring private and sensitive
information, such as credit card numbers, personal identification and account usernames and passwords.
In phishing, an imposer uses an authentic looking email or website to trick recipients into giving out
sensitive personal information.

3. Identity Theft or Identity Fraud: Identity theft is the crime of obtaining the personal or financial
information of another person for the sole purpose of assuming that person's name or identity to
make transactions or use it to post inappropriate remarks, comments etc. Example: One Day Alex
forgot to sign out from his email account. In the morning, his twin brother, Flex started using the
computer. He used Alex’s email account to send inappropriate messages to his contacts.

4. Ransomware: This is another kind of cyber crime where the attacker gains access to the computer
and blocks the user from accessing, usually by encrypting the data. The attacker blackmails the
victim to pay for getting access to the data, or sometimes threatens to publish personal and
sensitive information or photographs unless a ransom is paid.
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 Following points can be considered as safety measures to reduce the risk of cyber crime:
 Take regular backup of important data.
 Use antivirus software and keep it updated always.
 Avoid installing pirated software. Always download software from secure (HTTPS) sites.
 Avoid visiting non-verified sites for which the browser alerts
 Use strong password for web login, and change it periodically.
 Do not use same password for all the websites.
 While using someone else’s computer, don’t save password or auto fill data
 Perform online transactions only through well-known and secure sites.

Cyber Laws
The laws created to protect against cyber-crime are called as the Cyber Laws. Cyber law covers a
fairly broad area, encompassing several subtopics including freedom of expression, access to and
usage of the Internet, and online privacy. They are also referred to as the Law of the Internet.

IT Act of India 2000

"INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACT, 2000" [ITA-2000] was enacted by Parliament of India on 17
October 2000 to protect the field of e-commerce, e-governance, e-banking as well as penalties and
punishments in the field of Cyber Crimes. The above Act was further amended in the form of IT
Amendment Act, 2008 [ITAA-2008]. It has added several new sections on offences including Cyber
Terrorism and Data Protection.
Cyber Appellate Tribunal has been established to resolve disputes arising from cybercrime.

E-waste management: Proper disposal of used electronic gadgets

Electronic waste, e-Waste, e-Scrap or Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment(WEEE) is the terms
used for the discarded computes, office electronic equipment, entertainment devices, mobile phones,
television sets and refrigerators. These include used electronics which are destined for reuse, resale,
salvage, recycling or disposal.The main characteristics are:
 The fastest growing segment of waste.
 Most valuable due to its basic composition.
 Very hazardous if not handled carefully.

Impact of e-waste
 Harmful chemicals seep into the soil, causing soil pollution.
 They contaminate the ground water and cause water pollution.
 When dust particles loaded with heavy metals enter the atmosphere, it causes air pollution.
 Lead used in devices, such as monitors and batteries causes lead poisoning which affects the
kidneys, brain and central nervous system.
 Beryllium, created by burning of e-waste such as electronic circuit boards causes skin diseases,
allergies and an increased risk of lung cancer.
 Burning of insulated wires to extract copper can cause neurological disorders.
 Mercury from the e-waste causes respiratory disorders and brain damage.
 Cadmium found in semiconductors and resistors can damage kidneys, liver and bones.
 Plastic in the e-waste leaches into soil and water resources, and damages the immune system
of the body and also causes various psychological problems like stress and anxiety.

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e-Waste Management
 Reduce
o Buy only when required.
o Use to maximum capacity.
o Maintain them to increase their life
 Reuse
o Upgrade existing electronics
o Donate functional devices
o Refurbish (resell old electronics at lower price)
 Recycle
o Recycle electronics which cannot be repaired, refurbished or reused.
o Contact NGOs/ companies for recycling

In India, the Environmental Protection Act, 1986, has been enacted to punish people responsible for
causing any form of pollution by paying for the damage done to the natural environment.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued a formal set of guidelines for proper handling
and disposal of e-waste. According to this, the manufacturer will be responsible for the final safe
disposal of the product when it becomes an e-waste.

The Department of Information Technology (DIT), Ministry of Communication and Information

Technology, has also issued a technical guide on “Environmental Management for Information
Technology Industry in India.” The industries have to follow it for recycling and reuse of e-waste.

Health concerns with Technology usage

Excessive use of technology such as smart phones, computers, online gaming, social media, etc leads
to many health related problems, such as:
1. Impact on hearing – Listening to loud music and use of headphones can cause hearing
damage over time.
2. Eye problems – Constant exposure to smart phone, laptops and computer screens impact our
vision and may lead to eye strain, dry, watering or itchy eyes.
3. Impact on Bones and Joints – Use of same postures and similar repetitive movements for
using the devices causes bad posture, backache neck and shoulder pain, painful condition of
wrists and fingers.
4. Sleep issues – Bright light from the devices block melatonin secretion, the hormone that
regulates sleep and this leads to disrupted sleep, reduced memory and attention span.
5. Mental health issues – Spending too much time on Internet can be addictive and can have a
negative impact on our physical and psychological wellbeing.
6. Stress, physical fatigue and obesity are the other related impacts the body may face if one
spends too much time using digital devices.

Ergonomics is a branch of science that deals with designing or arranging workplaces including
the furniture, equipments and systems so that it becomes safe and comfortable for the user.

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