Life in the information age- civil rights

Civil rights and IT

This week I am going to discuss Civil rights in relation to developments in IT. During this topic I am going to discuss how civil rights have been possibly violated through developments in IT. It is widely argued that there is an imbalance between an individual’s civil rights and the government’s ability to keep the country safe from any infringements occurring.

The first section that I will talk about is modern police techniques and how civil rights may be affected.

DNA profiling

Since 1995 the police have built up a large database of people’s DNA used to assist in crime detection. It contains on average around 1/20 of people’s DNA in the UK. Although highly useful to the police, this type of crime detection in particular can have impacts on a person’s civil rights.

Disadvantages to the police in relation to civil rights

When a person is found innocent of a crime their DNA records are completely wiped from the database. The problem for the police is two issues arise, the first being that if a person commits a crime in the future they will have limited access to compare evidence from the crime to the person who committed the crime. Secondly should anyone really have the right to delete a person’s personal records or even have access to them without the person’s actual consent? Many people in particular have regarded this is a way of the government controlling people leading many people into thinking that we live in a dictatorship rather than in democracy. After all can we trust every single police officer in charge of this database? What if certain crimes such as murder have been used to frame people via this computer database, a person would be unfairly sentenced for changing evidence. In addition to that hackers could well end up hacking into the system and use people’s personal information for their own benefits. However surly the police could find out if anyone unauthorised has looked at the data in the first place so issues of unauthorised access are eradicated.

My personal view on this

I think that DNA profiling is fine so long as strict exemptions o its used are established. No unauthorised person should have access to the information displayed for the protection of the suspect in the first place. Although there are obvious issues with this type of technology, the main aim of is to help detect and prevent crime.

National identity cards   

Every UK citizen will have a national identity card containing information such as their fingerprints and a photograph. Anyone who requires proof of identity can ask the person for this identity card. There is controversy in relation to these identity cards in the form that an individual should be allowed right to privacy.

Advantages of having this identity card

Reduction in crime

It has been argued that they will reduce the amount of crime as the fear of being caught has been increased through the creation of these identity cards. I personally believe that people now will have the ability to forge these identity cards, so actually getting away with a crime could potentially be easier.

Banking

 Having these identity cards also could make it easier for people to open bank accounts as they already have the required proof to be able to open a bank account. However what if a person lost their identity card, carrying around personal information is very dangerous especially if lost.

Disadvantages of these identity cards

Having to prove ourselves

 Many people have had this view that we as human beings should not have to prove ourselves to anyone at anytime. Although this may be strictly true, there are certain regulations that need to be enforced such as selling alcohol to under aged people. Without theses identity cards how could a person easily prove themselves? Personally I believe that proving ourselves is necessary in the interest of the public’s safety even if many people consider being asked for identification as a sign of harassment.

Extra documents

We already have documents to say who we are in the form of passports and driving licenses so do we need extra identification? Many people from this have come up with statements saying that this is another example, of the government trying to control the people. They believe this because what the identity cards do the passports do as well. The government have been viewed by people to be using this to gain extra income because they are quite expensive to own. I personally believe that if our passports can easily identify us in any situation needed then the need for identity cards surly becomes surplus to requirements.

Fake identity cards

Being in the information age forging information is actually easier. People have access to technology that can fake who they are and where they are from; in addition to that they can make these cards seem as real as an actual copy of an identity card. Creating these identity cards has lead to a rise in identity theft and breaches in people’s civil rights. I personally believe that this is a prime example of why having identity cards cause’s problems; if something can be faked then it is ineffective ergo I believe that overall identity cards should be abolished.

CCTV systems

The UK has more cameras looking at people than any other country in the world. And because of this many have considered the UK to be a ‘big brother state’. They are often located on many streets, car parks, on the road in the form of speed cameras and even shops.

Advantages of CCTV cameras

Reduction in crime

The police have regularly said that CCTV systems are there for the good of the public. However can a camera actually stop crime altogether? After all many crimes committed in the premises of a CCTV camera are often planned around getting around them. However despite this recent figures from the start of the decade to the present day have shown a reduction of crime through use of these CCTV systems.

Better health and safety for the public

The police themselves have said that better health and safety has come from having these cameras in place. Examples of this are on the roads when people are speeding. Many people seem to fear these cameras and will immediately slow down in the presence of a camera. I personally believe that cameras do actually improve health and safety which is evident on roads and certainly many will think twice before entering a building with CCTV footage active.

Disadvantages of these cameras

Surveillance

The question is how far should surveillance actually go? O we know what goes on behind the scenes? And do the police tell us information about these systems that actually aren’t true? Many people consider Britain to be a ‘big brother state’ with all these cameras around, but are they actually needed? We aren’t even told whether we want to be filmed on these cameras at all. So personally I believe that this could be considered as a breach of civil rights.

Misuse of information

The government has said that these cameras are in the interest of public security. However in the wrong hands this information could be detrimental to a person’s security. Can we actually trust a stranger to keep our identity safe and secure? Can we be given a guaranteed statement that our information is not to be used in other ways exempt from those that are needed? I personally believe that not being told who has control over these cameras is a civil right issue because we have right to know who has our identity!

Do they actually reduce crime?

One of the biggest thoughts that I have taken with this question is can a CCTV system stop a victim of one of Britain’s largest issues knife crime? I personally believe that these systems tell us nothing because they are seen in footage regularly to be ‘covered up’. If they were an effective system we would see a drastic reduction in crime seen in Britain. In addition to that I think that instead of having these expensive cameras putting them in high crime areas would be better and more effective than low crime rates. They actually are frequently appearing in the work place. Should an employer have right to ‘spy’’ on their employees? I believe that it is an invasion of privacy, a right that every person should have at the very minimum.

The Data Protection act of 1998 and the computer misuse act.

Introduction to the data protection act

The data protection act of 1998 was made to protect private and personal information. The acts set out to protect the personal information of individuals only and do not protect the data of businesses. The data is stored on a computer or paper filling system. The protect act is run by the information commissioners office and has a policy that allows individuals to check what data is being stored about them.

Any company that wishes to store information about an individual must inform the information commissioner’s office or else they are storing information illegally.  They must inform the information commissioner’s office about:

·       What information they wish to store.

·       What they intend to use the data for.

·       How long they wish to store it for.

·        And any external parties that this information may be passed on to.

 In addition to this the company must comply with the eight principles of the data protections act.

The eight principles of the data protection act are:

   Fairly and lawfully processed

  Used for limited purposes- cannot involve illegal use of the data for exploitation of personal

  data. 

 Adequate and relevant- information that is needed may be used; all other information is  not 

 to be used.

Accurate-the company cannot store false information about an individual.

Not keep longer than needed- if the person does not wish to receive information about    

the company.

Accessible to the individual and can be corrected or removed when necessary.

Companies cannot refuse an individual to change data if it relevant at the time .e.g. updating

 contact or addresses.

Secure- the information must be made to be inaccessible to the general public about an individual.

     

Not to be transferred to other countries without a similar data protection act.

What are the rights that an individual has?      

The individual has the right to see what information is being held about them if they ask the data user. 

Under the fourth principle of the data protection act the person has the right to change any inaccurate information being held about them. 

Refusal of data being stored or shared. For example companies will ask the customer whether or not they wish to receive information from carefully selected 3^rd parties that will contact them with products to sell to them. (Direct marketing).

 A person the right to complain to the data protection commissioner if they feel any of the 8 principles have been broken. 

If the customer can prove that one or more of these rules have been broken then they are fully entitled to compensation providing damage has been caused by the data controllers.

Exemptions to the data protection act

There are some exemptions to the data protection act which are most likely serious events involved with a person.

·       You cannot see the data being stored about you if national security is at stake.

·       Police investigations- you cannot see information about a crime scene.

·       Examination results are an exemption until they are published; this is so all of the results can be processed at a particular time.

The computer misuse act of 1990

The computer misuse act of 1990 was passed to prevent unauthorised access to computers or hacking.

The principles of the computer misuse act of 1990

·       No unauthorised access to computer material.

·       No accessing with intent to commit an offence. For example a person commits an offense by looking and using newsletter settings of a person and uses this to send an email to a customer or a set of customers asking them to disclose bank details to steal money from their accounts.

·       No unauthorized modification to computer material. This is because it is illegal to change other people’s data without the permission of that person.

Computer software

Computer software is now covered by the Copyright Designs and Patents Act of 1988, which covers music, literature and software. It is illegal to copy software, run pirated software, and transmit software over a telecommunications line with intent to mass distribute it.

            Copyright has 3 offenses

·       Illegal Copying, not for Profit

·       £2k and/or 6 months

·       Mass Copying, not for profit, same penalty + confiscation & compensation to copyright holders.

·       Any of the above if used for profit.

Computer Misuse Act 3 offenses

·       Unauthorised access to a computer results in, £20,000 and/or 6 months.

·       Unauthorised access with intent to cause a further offense, £50, 000 and/or 5 years.

·       Unauthorised Changing of files through viruses or other malicious programmes, 5 years + £50,000per computer affected.

What is a virus?

A virus is a piece of computer code which copies itself, without your permission.

Some viruses can damage data. All viruses use up system resources (memory, hard disk space) and they can even destroy programmes or can copy your anti-virus software to disable that antivirus software to run other viruses.

Viruses cause the computer code to be modified; they are illegal under the Computer Misuse Act.

Viruses are written by people usually in the form of e-mail that seem convincing but actually are a trick for people to open the attachment.

How a virus works

A person will write a programme or a virus designed to cause damage intentionally.

Usually attached to another programs on the hard disk.

When the virus copies itself another floppy disk is created and the virus will copy itself on to that disk.

·       When the transmission is completed a message may appear to annoy the person affected and will use computer memory, destroy files or cause serious security damage.

How to stop hackers

Firewalls

A firewall can prevent others from hacking into your computer. It filters data coming from the internet to the computer or a network. Having this stops hacking into your system and the person using the computer as a host system to run malicious programs.

Antivirus software- Antivirus software can detect threats to your computer and stop them causing damage to the computer. However there are occasions when antivirus software can be bypassed for example in 2011 a spyware program called Antivirus GT would copy your antivirus and disable the original antivirus software.

Macros- You should never run macros unless you trust the source because they can contain viruses to damage your system.