Ethical, cultural, environmental and privacy impacts – GCSE Computer Science exam questions with mark scheme

1Grade 6–74 marks

A mobile phone company releases a new phone every year.

(a) Describe two negative environmental impacts of people replacing their phones every year. [2]

(b) Describe two ways these impacts could be reduced. [2]

(a) Any two from: old phones become e-waste that is often sent to landfill / shipped to developing countries; toxic chemicals / materials (e.g. lead, mercury) can leak into soil / water; mining raw / rare materials damages the environment; energy used in manufacturing / transport increases carbon emissions(1)
(a) Second impact from the list(1)
(b) Any two from: recycle phones / their components properly; refurbish / reuse / sell or donate second-hand; repair phones / make them easier to repair; provide software updates for longer so phones last longer; trade-in / take-back schemes; people keep their phone for longer / company releases new models less often or stops encouraging yearly upgrades; manufacture using recycled materials / renewable energy(1)
(b) Second way from the list(1)
Answer: (a) e.g. e-waste in landfill leaking toxins; mining raw materials (b) e.g. recycling; repairing / longer software support
Examiner tip: Make each impact specific – 'it's bad for the environment' scores nothing until you say how.

2Grade 6–75 marks

A town council plans to move all of its services, such as paying council tax and reporting problems, to an online-only website and app.

(a) Explain one cultural issue this plan could cause. [2]

(b) The website will collect residents' personal data. Explain one privacy issue. [2]

(c) A designer copies photos from another website to use on the council's site without permission. State the law that this breaks. [1]

(a) Digital divide: some people (e.g. elderly / low-income / rural residents) do not have access to the internet / devices / the skills to use them; allow: loss of face-to-face contact with council staff; allow: services may not be available in residents' first languages(1)
(a) …so they may be unable to use council services / are excluded / disadvantaged / become more isolated(1)
(b) Data could be hacked / leaked / shared or sold without consent; allow: residents may be tracked / monitored(1)
(b) …leading to identity theft / fraud / embarrassment / loss of trust in the council; allow: residents lose control over who sees or uses their data / data used for purposes they did not agree to. Do not accept a mitigation (e.g. 'must follow the Data Protection Act') as the explanation(1)
(c) Copyright, Designs and Patents Act (1988); ignore missing / wrong year; allow minor slips in the name (e.g. 'Copyright, Design and Patents Act'); do not accept 'copyright' / 'copyright law' alone or any other Act(1)
Answer: (a) Digital divide excludes people without internet/skills (b) Personal data could be leaked or misused → identity theft (c) Copyright, Designs and Patents Act
Examiner tip: Each 2-mark 'explain' needs an issue AND its consequence – stop after the issue and you only get half the marks.

3Grade 8–98 marks

A large supermarket chain plans to replace all of its checkout staff with self-service tills. It will also install cameras with facial recognition software to identify shoplifters.

Discuss the impact of these plans. In your answer you should consider:

ethical and legal issues
cultural issues
environmental issues

[8]

Ethical: staff lose their jobs / unemployment; but new technical jobs created (maintenance, IT support)IC
Ethical: shoplifting may increase at self-service tills; cost savings for the company / possibly lower prices for customersIC
Ethical / privacy: customers are recorded and identified without explicit consent; facial recognition may be inaccurate / biased, wrongly accusing innocent customersIC
Legal: facial images are (biometric) personal data so must comply with the Data Protection Act 2018 – stored securely, kept no longer than needed, used only for the stated purpose; customers have the right to know / access their dataIC
Legal: hackers who gain access to the camera / payment systems would commit an offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990; the supermarket must keep the stored images secure (Data Protection Act)IC
Cultural: some groups (e.g. elderly, disabled or less confident users) may find self-service tills hard to use / feel excluded; loss of social contact for customers who value talking to staffIC
Cultural: people may feel watched / change behaviour in public places; acceptance of surveillance becoming normalIC
Environmental: manufacture of tills / cameras uses resources and energy; old tills become e-waste; tills and servers running constantly use electricity; but fewer staff journeys / receipts could be digitalIC

Level	Marks	What it looks like
Level 3	6–8	Detailed, well-developed discussion covering all three bullet points. Points are linked to the scenario and both positive and negative impacts are considered. Accurate technical terms and named legislation are used, and the answer is well organised, reaching a supported conclusion.
Level 2	3–5	Some explanation of impacts, usually covering at least two bullet points. Points are partly linked to the scenario but some are underdeveloped or one-sided. Some correct terminology.
Level 1	1–2	A few relevant points, mostly listed or generic with little explanation and little link to the scenario. Limited terminology.
Level 0	0	Nothing worthy of credit.

Answer: Balanced discussion covering job losses vs savings, privacy/DPA compliance for facial recognition, exclusion of some customers, and energy/e-waste, with a conclusion
Examiner tip: To reach the top band you must discuss both sides and cover all three bullet points – a one-sided list of problems stays in Level 2.

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