SOCIETAL IMPACT NOTES

Digital Footprints:
Whenever we surf the internet using smartphones, tablets, computers, etc., we leave a
trail of data reflecting the activities performed by us online is called our digital footprint.

There are two kinds of digital footprints:

1. Active digital footprint: The digital data trail we leave online intentionally. For example
emails we write, or posts we make on different websites.
2. Passive digital footprint: The digital data trail we leave online unintentionally, for
example when we visit a website, use a mobile App, browse Internet, etc.

NOTE: All our online activities leave a data trace on the Internet. Therefore, we need to
be more cautious while being online!

Netizen:
Anyone who uses digital technology along with Internet is a digital citizen or a netizen. A
responsible netizen must abide by net etiquettes, communication etiquettes and social
media etiquettes.

Net Etiquettes:
When we are online, we should exhibit proper manners and etiquettes called Net
etiquettes. One should be ethical, respectful and responsible while surfing the internet.
1. Be Ethical
 No copyright violation: We should not use copyrighted materials without the
permission of the creator or owner.
 No breach of privacy: It is good to share the information and knowledge on the
internet but not at the cost of others’ privacy.
2. Be Respectful
 Respect privacy: We should not share images, documents, files etc., of any one
person with other person without each other’s consent.
 Respect diversity: We should respect the diversity of the people in terms of
knowledge, experience, culture and other aspects.
3. Be Responsible
 Avoid cyber bullying. Repeated posting of rumors, giving threats online, posting
the victim’s personal information, instant harassment is termed as cyber bullying.
 Don’t feed the trolls: It means troll is a person who deliberately sends and/or
discord on the internet just by starting quarrels, by posting inflammatory or off-
topic messages in an online community, just for amusement.

Communication Etiquettes:
Digital communication includes email, texting, instant messaging, talking on the cell
phone, audio or video conferencing,
posting on forums, social networking sites, etc.
For good communication a digital citizen should abide by the communication etiquettes
given below:
1. Be Precise:
 We should use clear and precise words while composing emails. Unnecessary
emails or comments should be avoided. Avoid sending multiple messages from
the recipient.
 Use the subject line wisely. The subject line of the message helps the recipient to
understand the context of the email. Avoid vague and misleading subject lines
(e.g., Urgent message, Important File, etc.)
2. Value Others’ Time:
 Reduce delays in communication in synchronous (happening in real time like chat)
and asynchronous communication (delayed time email, forum post or comment,
etc.) should be polite.
  Be careful with punctuation while making any comment, posting a query in an
email or replying on forum post as such acts decide our credibility as sender or
writer.

Social Media Etiquettes:

Social media(Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, or YouTube channel) are
websites or applications that enable their users to participate in social networking by
creating and sharing content with others in the community.
In social media too, there are certain etiquettes we need to follow
1. Be Secure
 Choose password wisely
 Know who you befriend
 Beware of fake information
2. Be Reliable
 Think before upload

Date Protection:
Elements of data that can cause substantial harm, embarrassment, inconvenience and
unfairness to an individual, if breached or compromised, is called sensitive data.
Examples of sensitive data include name, address, mobile number, health information,
financial information, or other personal documents, images or audio or videos. Privacy of
sensitive data can be implemented by encryption, authentication.

Intellectual Property Right (IPR):

Intellectual Property refers to the invention, literary and artistic expression, designs and
symbols, names, images. The ownership of such concepts lies with the creator or the
holder of the intellectual property. Intellectual Property is legally protected through
copyright, patent and trademark.

a. Copyright:
Copyright grants legal rights to creators for their original works like writings,
photographs, audio recordings, architectural works, @computer software, and other
creative works like literary and artistic works.
Copyright law gives the copyright holder a set of rights that are given below:
1. Right to copy (reproduce) a work.
2. Right to create derivative works based upon it.
3. Right to distribute copies of the work to the public.
4. Right to publicly display or perform the work.

b. Patent:
Patent is usually granted for inventions. Unlike copyright, the inventor needs to apply
(file) for patenting the invention. When a patent is granted, the owner gets an exclusive
right to prevent others from using, selling it. A patent lasts for 20 years, after which it
can be used by all.

c. Trademark:
Trademark includes any visual symbol, word, name, design, slogan, label, etc., that
distinguishes the brand from other brands. For example, no company other than Nike can
use the Nike brand to sell shoes or clothes.

Licensing:
A license is a type of contract or a permission agreement between the creator of an
original work and others who want to use it, generally for some price.
Licensing is the legal term used to describe the terms under which people are allowed to
use the copyrighted material.

Public Access and Open Source Software:

When authors share their copyrighted works with others under public license, it allows
others to use and modify the content. Open source licenses help others to contribute to
existing work or project without seeking individual permission to do so.
a.CC license:
CC license is a set of copyright licenses that give the recipients, rights to copy, modify
and redistribute the
creative material, but giving the authors, the liberty to decide the conditions of licensing.

b.GNU GPL:
GNU GPL is the most widely used free software license which grants the recipients, rights
to copy, modify and redistribute the software and that the same rights are preserved in
all derivative works.

Violation of IPR:
Violation of intellectual property right may happen in one of the following ways:

1. Plagiarism:
Presenting someone else’s idea or work as one’s own idea or work is called plagiarism. If
we copy some content from Internet, but do not mention the source or the original
creator, then this is considered as an act of plagiarism.

2. Copyright Infringement:
It is an offense in which we use other person’s work without obtaining their permission to
use or
have not paid for it, if it is being sold.

3. Trademark Infringement:
Trademark infringement means unauthorized use of other’s trademark on products and
services.

Proprietary Software vs FOSS (Free and Open Source Software):

Free and Open Software Proprietary Software
The term “Open-Source” refers to The term “Proprietary Software” refers to
software in which the source code is software owned by a company or an
available and can be accessed, modified, individual
reused and shared freely by anybody
Examples of free software are: Linux, Examples of Proprietary Software are:
Ubuntu, Libre Office, Mozilla Firefox etc Microsoft, Windows, MS Office etc

Hacking:
Hacking is the act of unauthorized access to a computer, computer network or any digital
system. Hacking, when done with a positive intent, is called ethical hacking. Such ethical
hackers are known as white-hat hackers. A non-ethical hacker is the one who tries to
gain unauthorized access to computers or networks in order to steal sensitive data with
the intent to damage or bring down systems. They are called black hat hackers or
crackers.

Computer Virus:
A computer virus is one kind of malicious code that can copy itself and can have
detrimental effect on the computer(s), by corrupting data or corrupting the system.
Similarly, malware is a software designed to gain unauthorized access to computer
systems.

Phishing and Fraud Emails:

Phishing is an unlawful activity where false websites or emails that look original or
authentic are created
to fraudulently collect sensitive and personal details like usernames, passwords, banking
and credit card details. The most common phishing method is through email spoofing.
Identity Theft:
A user’s identifiable personal data like demographic details, email ID, banking
credentials, passport, PAN, Aadhar, credit card number and such personal data are stolen
to impersonate and act on behalf of the user. There can be many ways in which the
criminal takes undue advantage of an individual’s stolen identity. Given below are a few:

1. Financial identity theft: when the stolen identity is used for financial gain.
2. Criminal identity theft: when one uses a victim’s identity to hide their own true
identity.
3. Medical identity theft: criminals can seek medical drugs or treatment using a
stolen identity.

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 again.
Some ransomware are sent as email attachments in spam mails. It can also reach your
system when we click on a malicious advertisement on the Internet.

Preventing Cyber Crime:

Following points can be considered as safety measures to reduce the risk of cyber crime:
1. Take regular backup of important data.
2. Install anti-virus and firewall software.
3. Avoid installing unidentified software.
4. Use strong password for web login, and change it periodically.

Indian Information Technology Act (IT Act):

The Government of India’s the Information Technology Act, 2000 (also known as IT Act),
amended in
2008, provides guidelines on the use, processing, storage and transmission of electronic
information.
The Appellate Tribunal has been established to resolve disputes arising from cyber crime,
such as fraudulently signing computer documents, hacking the system, using password
of another person, publishing sensitive personal data of others without their consent, etc.

Digital Signatures:
Digital signatures are the digital equivalent of a paper certificate. Digital signatures work
on a unique digital ID issued by an Certifying Authority (CA) to the user. Signing a
document digitally means attaching that user’s identity, which can be used to
authenticate.

E-waste: Hazards and Management:

E-waste or Electronic waste includes the discarded electronic gadgets and devices that
are no longer in use. Hence, discarded computers, laptops, mobile phones, tablets,
tablets, speakers, printers, scanners and TVs are considered as e-waste.

Impact of e-waste on environment:

 When e-waste is carelessly thrown or dumped in landfills or dumping grounds,
certain elements or metals used in production of electronic products cause air,
water and soil pollution.
 If e-waste is not disposed of in proper manner, it can be extremely harmful to
humans, plants, animals and the environment at large.

E-waste Management:
E-waste management is the efficient disposal of e-waste. Some of the feasible methods
of e-waste management are reduce, reuse and recycle:
1. Reduce: We should try to reduce the generation of e-waste by purchasing the
electronic or electrical devices only according to our need.
 2. Reuse: It is the process of re-using the electronic or electric waste after slight
modification. The process of re-selling old electronic goods at lower prices is
called refurbishing.
3. Recycle: Recycling is the process of conversion of electronic device into
something that can be used again and again in some or the other manner.

E-waste Management in India:

In India, the Environmental Protection Act, 1986, has been enacted to punish people
responsible for causing any form of pollution. According to this act, “Polluter pays
Principle”, any one causing any form of pollution will pay for the damage caused.

Device Safety:
 Regularly clean it to keep the dust off.
 Wipe monitor/screen often using the regular microfibre soft cloth (the one used
for spectacles).
 Do not eat food or drink over the keyboard.

Impact on Health:
Spending too much time on social media can be addictive and can have a negative
impact on our physical and mental health. These health concerns can be addressed to
some extent by taking care of the way we position our postures.
Ergonomics is a branch of science that deals with designing or arranging workplace
including the furniture, workplace and lighting systems to fit best with the comfort of the
user. Ergonomic helps us in reducing the strain on our bodies — including the fatigue and
injuries due to prolonged use.