Computer Law

 In this post, we will be discussing computer laws. National and international law apply to activities carried out using computers and networks. The UK has numbers of laws which apply mainly to computers and networks.

 The Computer Misuse Act is a law that decides whether people are allowed to access computers and modify the data on the computer system. It makes unauthorised access illegal, that includes hacking or using other techniques to use computer system you are not entitled to use. 

Communication Act 2003 is an act of the Parliament of the UK. It creates offences of improper use of a public communications service and dishonestly obtaining electronic communications services. 

Investigatory Powers Act of 2016. It is an Act of Parliament of the UK that has been passed by both House of Parliament, and Queen Elizabeth Secon signified her royal assent to the Investigatory Powers. It controls the interception of traffic on networks. It also created powers for the police and other investigating authorities to require networks to provide information about their users and their use of networks. 

Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulation-  it is an act that we have discussed in one of my previous posts. It governs your data rights, including the way companies handle your data and the compensation you can claim for misuse of your data. It establishes requirements on anyone holding personal data on a computer or any other organised filing system.

Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 - is a law in the UK which made it unlawful to, amongst other things, transmit an automated recorded message for direct marketing purposes via a telephone, without the prior consent of the subscriber. The law implements an EU directive, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive 2002.

Those laws are created to protect users, being aware of these laws we all can stay safe online. Most of us use our computers for various reasons; like studies/research, work or entertainment. We tend to trust in our technology, and what we find online, however, it can also be used to aid illegal activities.

(International Press Telecommunications Council, n.d.)

resources:

-International Press Telecommunications Council, n.d. [image] Available at: <https://www.pikist.com/free-photo-sxrmu> [Accessed 21 November 2020].

-Information Commissioner’s Office, Guide to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), licensed under the Open Government Licence. available at : https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/ .[Accessed 21 November 2020].