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UNIT 3 ▪ CHAPTER 1
21
Society, Law and Ethics
Digital Footprints · Netiquette · IPR · Cyber Crime · Malware · E-waste · IT Act
Technology is neutral — it can be used for good or for harm. How a society uses it depends on laws, on ethics (the unwritten rules of fair behaviour), and on the everyday judgment of its citizens. This unit pulls together the human-side questions of computing: the trail you leave when you go online (digital footprint), how to behave in shared digital spaces (netiquette), who owns an idea (IPR), the crimes that target computer users (cybercrime), how to stay safe, the junk that attacks your machine (malware), how to dispose of old devices (e-waste), the law of the land (IT Act, 2000), and how technology must include everyone — regardless of gender or disability.
Learning Outcome 1: Describe a digital footprint and the two kinds in which it is created.
21.1 Digital Footprint
A digital footprint is the trail of data a person leaves behind every time they use the Internet — websites visited, searches made, photos uploaded, comments posted, GPS locations shared by a phone, emails sent, purchases made. This trail can be voluntary (things you deliberately post) or involuntary (data silently collected about you).
Two types of digital footprint:
Golden rule. "The Internet never forgets." A post can be deleted from your profile but can live forever in other people's screenshots, cached copies, or archives. Employers, colleges and the government can and do check digital footprints.
Learning Outcome 2: Apply net, communication, and social-media etiquettes of a responsible netizen.
21.2 Digital Society & the Netizen
A netizen (net + citizen) is a good citizen of the Internet — someone who uses the network responsibly, respects others, and obeys the law online just as they would offline. Being a netizen comes with three overlapping codes of etiquette.
21.2.1 Net etiquette (Netiquette)
- Be ethical — never cheat, hack, impersonate or steal online.
- Respect others — everyone online is a human being, not just a username.
- Respect privacy — do not share someone else's photos, messages or personal data without permission.
- Respect diversity — opinions, languages, beliefs differ; disagree politely.
- Avoid piracy — don't download copyrighted songs, movies, software illegally.
- Share knowledge kindly — help beginners, cite sources, correct without mocking.
21.2.2 Communication etiquette
Applies to email, chats, video calls, online forums and even comment sections.
- Be precise — use clear subject lines and short paragraphs.
- Be polite — no abusive or hateful language. TYPING IN ALL CAPS is shouting.
- Be credible — proofread, check facts, avoid forwarding rumours.
- Respect time zones & response times — not everyone is online when you are.
- No spam — don't bombard people with irrelevant messages or CC lists.
21.2.3 Social media etiquette
- Choose your words carefully — a post can be screenshot-ed and shared forever.
- Be aware of privacy settings — know who can see your posts (public / friends / custom).
- Avoid over-sharing — details like phone number, home address, school schedule can be misused.
- Do not impersonate another person or create fake profiles.
- Don't feed the trolls — report abusive content and block rather than engage.
- Verify before you share — forwarding a fake news item makes you the source of misinformation.
- Mind your digital posture — your public posts are your résumé.
Learning Outcome 3: Explain Intellectual Property Rights and open-source licensing.
21.3 Data Protection & Intellectual Property Rights
Intellectual Property (IP) is a creation of the human mind — an invention, a book, a song, a logo, a computer program. IPR — Intellectual Property Rights — are the legal rights given to the creator so that no one else can copy, sell, or exploit the work without permission. IPR encourages innovation by ensuring that creators can earn from their creations.
21.3.1 Three pillars of IPR
Copyright vs Patent vs Trademark:
21.3.2 IPR Violations
| Violation | What it is | Everyday example |
|---|---|---|
| Plagiarism | Passing off someone else's work (words, code, ideas) as your own, without giving credit. | Copying a Wikipedia paragraph into your project without citation. |
| Copyright infringement | Using copyrighted material (movie, song, book, image) without permission or licence. | Downloading a film from a torrent site; re-uploading someone's photo. |
| Trademark infringement | Using a brand's logo, name or slogan in a way that confuses customers. | A fake shop selling "Addidas" shoes with a similar logo. |
Avoid plagiarism by quoting sources, paraphrasing with citation, using your own words, and running your work through a plagiarism-checker (Turnitin, Grammarly) before submission. For free-to-use content, search Creative Commons-licensed material.
21.3.3 Open-source software & Licensing
Open-source software (OSS) makes its source code freely available for anyone to read, modify and redistribute — usually under a licence that lays down the rules. Not all open-source is the same; the three most famous licences are:
| Licence | Key idea | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| GPL (GNU General Public License) | Copyleft — if you change or redistribute the software, you must release your version under the GPL too. This keeps derivative work free forever. | Linux kernel, GIMP, GNU coreutils |
| Apache 2.0 | Permissive — use, modify, and close-source your version freely. Must retain the copyright and attribution notice. | Android, Apache HTTP Server, Kubernetes |
| Creative Commons (CC) | A family of licences (CC BY, CC BY-SA, CC BY-NC, CC0…) for creative works — photos, music, articles. Pick the "flavour" that matches your wish. | Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), most Wikimedia images, many YouTube-Audio-Library tracks |
Free vs Open-source. "Free" here means libre — freedom to use, study, modify and redistribute — not necessarily gratis (zero price). Red Hat sells GPL-licensed Linux commercially; the source code is still open.
Learning Outcome 4: Identify common cyber crimes and practise cyber-safety habits.
21.4 Cyber Crime
A cyber crime is any illegal activity carried out using a computer, a network, or a connected device — either as the tool (e.g., sending a phishing email) or as the target (e.g., attacking a bank's server).
21.4.1 Common cyber crimes
| Crime | What it is | Typical example |
|---|---|---|
| Hacking | Gaining unauthorised access to a computer or an account. | Guessing someone's password to read their email. |
| Eavesdropping | Secretly intercepting someone's network traffic or conversation. | A stranger "sniffing" Wi-Fi packets at a café to read your messages. |
| Phishing | A fake email / SMS / website that imitates a trusted brand (bank, Amazon, Govt.) and tricks you into typing your password, OTP or card details. | "Your SBI account will be blocked — click here and verify" email. |
| Fraud emails | Get-rich-quick or lottery-winner messages that ask for an advance fee. | "Congratulations — you won $1,000,000. Send ₹5,000 to claim." |
| Ransomware | Malware that encrypts your files and demands payment (usually in cryptocurrency) to decrypt them. | WannaCry attack (2017) crippled hospitals worldwide. |
| Cyber trolling | Posting deliberately offensive or provocative comments to upset others. | Insults on a YouTuber's video purely to cause distress. |
| Cyber bullying | Repeated online harassment — threats, humiliation, exclusion — targeted at an individual. | Creating a hate-group against a classmate; spreading doctored images. |
21.5 Cyber Safety
Cyber safety is the set of practices that keep you and your data safe online. Cyber crime is the problem; cyber safety is the daily defence.
21.5.1 Safely browsing the web
- Always check for HTTPS — the padlock icon in the address bar.
- Beware of shortened URLs (
bit.ly,tinyurl.com) — hover to preview before clicking. - Do not download software from unknown sites; use official stores (Play Store, App Store, vendor site).
- Keep your browser and OS updated — security patches fix known holes.
- Use an ad-blocker and a reputable antivirus.
21.5.2 Identity protection
- Use strong, unique passwords — at least 12 characters, mixed case, numbers, symbols. A password manager helps.
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) — OTP, Google Authenticator, hardware key.
- Never share OTPs, PINs or passwords, even with someone claiming to be from the bank or Govt.
- Do not fill personal details on sites that don't explain why they need them.
- Shred old SIM cards and Aadhaar-containing papers before throwing them away.
21.5.3 Confidentiality
- Encrypt sensitive files (PDFs, Excel sheets, ZIPs) with a password.
- Prefer end-to-end-encrypted messengers (WhatsApp, Signal) for personal chat.
- Use a VPN on public Wi-Fi.
- Log out of shared or public computers; clear the browser history.
- Restrict social-media posts to "Friends only" where possible.
Learning Outcome 5: Differentiate the common types of malware.
21.6 Malware
Malware (malicious + software) is any program intentionally designed to damage a computer, steal data, or disrupt normal operations. It spreads through infected email attachments, pirated software, fake app stores, drive-by downloads, and USB sticks.
| Type | How it behaves | Famous example |
|---|---|---|
| Virus | Attaches itself to a legitimate program or file. When the host is run, the virus activates and copies itself to other files. Needs a user action to spread. | ILOVEYOU (2000) spread via email attachments. |
| Worm | Standalone malware that spreads by itself across a network — no host file needed. | Conficker, SQL Slammer. |
| Trojan horse | Disguises itself as a useful program; once installed, it opens a back door for an attacker or silently steals data. Does NOT self-replicate. | Fake "free anti-virus" installers. |
| Adware | Pops up, redirects the browser, or displays unwanted advertisements. Usually bundled with free software. | Toolbars that hijack your homepage. |
| Spyware | Secretly records keystrokes, browsing history, credit card numbers and sends them back to the attacker. | Keyloggers. |
| Ransomware | Encrypts files and demands payment to decrypt. (Covered above under cyber crime — also a malware type.) | WannaCry, Petya. |
How to defend against malware: install a reputable antivirus, keep it updated, avoid pirated software, do not click suspicious email attachments, back up your files offline so ransomware cannot reach them, and never disable Windows Defender or the Play Protect scan.
Learning Outcome 6: Explain e-waste management, the IT Act, and gender/disability issues in technology.
21.7 E-waste Management
E-waste — electronic waste — is the pile of discarded computers, mobiles, TVs, chargers, printers, batteries and any other device that has reached the end of its useful life. India generated over 1.7 million tonnes of e-waste in 2024 — one of the largest figures in the world.
21.7.1 Why e-waste is dangerous
- Devices contain toxic metals — lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium — that leach into soil and ground-water if dumped.
- Informal burning of circuit boards releases harmful fumes (dioxins).
- Rare metals (gold, copper, silver, indium) inside chips are wasted if not recycled.
21.7.2 The 4 R's of e-waste
| R | Meaning | Everyday action |
|---|---|---|
| Reduce | Buy only what you need; prefer durable products. | Don't upgrade your phone every year. |
| Reuse | Give a working device a second life. | Pass your old laptop to a sibling or donate to an NGO. |
| Recycle | Submit dead devices to authorised recyclers; never to the kabadi-wala. | Drop-off at a company's e-waste bin (Dell, Samsung, Apple, Nokia all run take-back schemes). |
| Recover | Formal recyclers extract reusable parts and precious metals. | ~85% of a modern smartphone can be recovered. |
Indian rules. The E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 (amended 2022) make producers of electronics responsible for collecting back old devices — called Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Consumers should dispose only through CPCB-authorised recyclers.
21.8 Information Technology Act (IT Act)
The Information Technology Act, 2000 (amended in 2008) is India's primary law for cyber-space. It gives legal recognition to electronic records and digital signatures, and defines punishments for cyber offences.
21.8.1 Key provisions
- Legal validity of e-contracts, e-signatures, e-records — so an email agreement can be legally binding.
- Digital signature infrastructure — Certifying Authorities issue digital-signature certificates to individuals and companies.
- Cyber offences defined — Section 43 (damage to computer), Section 65 (source-code tampering), Section 66 (hacking), Section 66C (identity theft), Section 66D (impersonation fraud), Section 67 (obscene content), Section 70 (protected systems).
- Establishes the Cyber Appellate Tribunal and the CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team).
- Penalties range from fines (up to ₹1 crore) to imprisonment (up to 10 years for serious offences).
Report cyber-crime in India:
- National Cyber Crime Helpline — 1930 (call within 24 hours for financial fraud).
- Online portal — cybercrime.gov.in (file FIR digitally).
- CERT-In — incident@cert-in.org.in for technical incidents.
21.9 Technology & Society — Gender and Disability Issues
Computing should benefit everyone. In reality, women and people with disabilities have long been under-represented in the tech industry and sometimes under-served by its products.
21.9.1 Gender issues
- Under-representation. Despite rising numbers, women still form a minority (~25–30%) of India's IT workforce and even fewer at senior engineering / research positions.
- Under-representation in classrooms. Many labs still have 3:1 or 4:1 boy-to-girl ratios in CS.
- Stereotypes — "coding is for boys", "computers are a man's field" — discourage girls from picking the subject.
- Online harassment — women face disproportionate trolling, doxxing and abuse.
- What helps — mixed lab partners, female role models (Ada Lovelace, Grace Hopper, Radhia Cousot, Anita Borg, Reshma Saujani), scholarships (Google Women-Techmakers, Anita B), equal-attention classroom policies, strict anti-harassment rules online.
21.9.2 Disability issues
- A student with visual impairment needs a screen reader (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver), a Braille display, or a refreshable-Braille keyboard.
- A student with hearing impairment benefits from captions on videos and visual-alert signals instead of beeps.
- A student with motor impairment may use a trackball, eye-tracker, voice-control (Dragon, Siri), or a foot pedal.
- A student with dyslexia reads more easily with OpenDyslexic font, text-to-speech and longer reading time.
- Modern OSes ship with a full Accessibility section — Windows Narrator, macOS Zoom, Android TalkBack, iOS VoiceOver — but teachers must actually use these features in class.
- Good websites follow the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) — alt-text on images, proper heading hierarchy, keyboard navigation, sufficient colour contrast.
Digital divide — the gap between those who have affordable access to computers and the Internet and those who don't — has to be closed by design. Governments (Digital India, PMGDISHA, BharatNet), companies (Microsoft's AI-for-Accessibility, Apple's accessibility APIs) and schools all have a role. Every line of code you write should consider who it leaves out.
📌 Quick Revision — Chapter 21 at a Glance
- Digital footprint = trail of data you leave online. Active (you post) + Passive (silently collected — cookies, IP, GPS).
- Netizen = responsible citizen of the Internet. Three etiquettes — net, communication, social-media — each emphasise respect, privacy and honesty.
- IPR = Intellectual Property Rights — legal rights of creators.
- © Copyright — original works (books, songs, software). Automatic, ~60 yrs after death (India).
- 🔧 Patent — inventions. Applied, granted for 20 years.
- ™ Trademark — brand identity (logo, name, slogan). Registered, renewable.
- IPR violations: Plagiarism · Copyright infringement · Trademark infringement.
- Open-source licences:
- GPL — copyleft (derivatives must also be GPL). E.g., Linux.
- Apache 2.0 — permissive, keep attribution. E.g., Android.
- Creative Commons — family of licences for creative works. E.g., Wikipedia.
- Cyber crime — illegal activity using computers. Key types: hacking, eavesdropping, phishing, fraud mail, ransomware, cyber troll, cyber bullying.
- Cyber safety — HTTPS, strong unique passwords, 2FA, never share OTPs, VPN on public Wi-Fi, log-out on shared PCs.
- Malware types — Virus (needs a host), Worm (self-spreading), Trojan (disguised), Adware (ads), Spyware, Ransomware.
- E-waste — discarded electronics. 4 R's: Reduce · Reuse · Recycle · Recover. India's E-Waste Rules 2016 with Extended Producer Responsibility.
- IT Act 2000 (amended 2008) — India's cyber-law. Legal validity of e-records & digital signatures, defines cyber offences (Sections 43, 65, 66, 66C, 66D, 67, 70), establishes CERT-In. Cyber helpline 1930; portal cybercrime.gov.in.
- Gender & Disability: women under-represented; stereotypes discourage girls; students with visual / hearing / motor / learning impairments need assistive tech (screen readers, captions, eye-trackers, dyslexia-friendly fonts) and accessible websites following WCAG.