1. Laws related to ICT
There are 4 laws that you might be asked about in the exams:
Health & Safety at Work Act
The Computer Misuse Act 1990
The Copyright, Designs & Patents Act
The Data Protection Act 1998

2. Health & Safety at Work Act
Under this law, employers must make sure that their employees (people who work for them) have a safe place to work. It is also sensible for anyone else using a computer (e.g. at home) to be aware of the health & safety risks so they can make sure they are working safely - of course, home use isn't covered by the Health & Safety at Work Act. Most of the ways of staying safe are common sense e.g.
Use adjustable (height & back support) chair that supports back so don’t get back injury
Use suitable lighting so can see monitor clearly so don’t strain eyes
Use blinds on windows to cut out glare on the monitor so don’t strain eyes
Don’t have cables trailing across floor as could trip up on them
Take regular breaks to avoid eye strain
Take regular breaks to avoid repetitive strain injury
Adjust monitor to correct brightness and contrast so don’t strain eyes
Make sure all equipment is in a comfortable, easy to use position so that don't strain back or neck
Don’t overload electrical sockets
Have fire extinguishers (suitable for use with electrical equipment) available as computers generate a lot of heat and so there is a risk of fire
Don’t use liquids near electrical equipment

3. The Computer Misuse Act 1990
This law made 3 things offences:
a) Hacking - to gain unauthorised access to a computer program or data
b) Using computer equipment to commit fraud
c) Deliberately infecting a computer with a virus

4. The Copyright, Designs & Patents Act
This law relates to a wide range of things but for your exam you will need to know how it relates to ICT. In particular, this law makes it illegal to copy or use
Software without the correct licence
Images from the internet without the correct permission
Downloaded music without buying it
Remember, you should not use someone else’s work without permission, you should credit your sources (say where you got information from), you can rewrite information in your own words.

5. The Data Protection Act (DPA) 1998
The purpose of this law is to ensure that personal data kept about people is kept fairly. The DPA relates to data kept on computers and data kept in written records. Personal data means data about an individual such as their date of birth, how much they earn, medical records etc. Some data is described as sensitive personal data including their
Racial or ethnic origins
Religious beliefs
Medical records
Political opinions
Criminal convictions
The DPA calls a person whose data is being stored and used the "data subject" and the person who is using the "data user". The "data controller" is the person who applied for permission for the business to collect and store data in the first place. The "data commissioner" is the person who is in charge of making sure everyone in the country follows the DPA.

6. The DPA has 8 principles. They state that personal data must:
Be obtained & processed fairly & lawfully
Be obtained for specified (explained) and lawful reasons
Be adequate, relevant & not excessive for the purpose
Be accurate and kept up-to-date
Not be kept longer than needed for the task it was collected for
Be processed according to the rights of the data subject
Be kept securely to prevent unauthorised access to the data
Not be transferred to countries outside the European Union unless the country has similar data protection laws.

7. The 6th of these principles is about the rights of the data subject
The 6th of these principles is about the rights of the data subject. These rights mean a person can:
ask for a copy of any data kept about them
prevent the data being used for direct marketing
have data corrected or deleted if it is inaccurate
claim compensation if they suffer distress because of the use of sensitive personal data
ask the Data Commissioner to investigate if they think the DPA is not being followed
There are exemptions to the DPA including data kept:
for national security reasons
for preventing & detecting crime
to calculate & collect taxes
for research, historical & statistical purposes & where information is already public

8. Here are some related past paper questions to try:
1) Give one reason why it may be wrong to scan an image from a school library book. [1]
2) A computer room is going to be installed in a youth club. Describe three features of electrical safety that will be considered when installing the computers. [3]
3) Brian works in the office using computers for long periods of time. He suffers from Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) and back pain. Suggest two ways of reducing these problems. [2]
4) A mail order company introduces a new database to hold its customer records. A customer of the mail order company suspects that information about them is incorrect. How does the Data Protection Act help the customer with this problem? [2]
5) An office worker uses a computer terminal for extended periods of time. What factors should be considered when purchasing a monitor and a chair in order to reduce health problems? [2]
‘Increased use of ICT by businesses and government agencies represents a threat to people's privacy.’ Discuss this statement. [6]
7) A history teacher is writing a book on the history of the school. She is using her school computer and her home computer to write the book. She spends many hours at a computer and, as a result, has some health problems. State one possible problem and explain how this problem might be reduced. [4]

9. 8). State three of the principles contained in the Data Protection Act
9) A dentist's surgery needs to collect information about new patients. Each new patient would be asked to give their name, address, date of birth and details about their last visit. State three different principles of the Data Protection Act which the dentist would need to comply with. Explain why each is important. [3]
10) Give two actions that are illegal under the Computer Misuse Act. [2]
11) A bank stores personal data about its customers on a computer file. This personal data is protected by the Data Protection Act. State three requirements of the Act that the bank must comply with. [3]
12) Describe what is meant by software copyright. [2]
13) There are a number of health problems that can be caused by working on computers for long periods of time. Explain how the use of suitable equipment can reduce these problems. [6]
14) State two actions that the Computer Misuse Act makes illegal. [2]