Legal and Ethical Issues Relating to Business Information
Learning Objectives:
I will be able to explain the legal and ethical issues relating to the use of business information (Pass)
I will be able to explain the legal and ethical issues relating to the use of business information (Pass)
Legal Issues
These are various items of legislation (law) to protect the use of business information.
Data Protection Act 1998
Many businesses store and use information about people. The Data Protection Act protects information held about people from being misused. The information stored by businesses on databases must be:
Obtained fairly and lawfully
Used only for the purposes stated during collection
Adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the intended use
Accurate and up to date
Not kept for longer than necessary
Processed in line with your rights
Subject to procedures to prevent unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction and damage to personal data
Protected from transfer to an area outside the European Economic Area (EEA) unless adequate protection exists for that data
Obtained fairly and lawfully
Used only for the purposes stated during collection
Adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the intended use
Accurate and up to date
Not kept for longer than necessary
Processed in line with your rights
Subject to procedures to prevent unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction and damage to personal data
Protected from transfer to an area outside the European Economic Area (EEA) unless adequate protection exists for that data
Freedom of Information Act 2000
This Act provides individuals or organisations with the right to request information held by a public authority. The public authority must tell the applicant whether it holds the information, which it must supply within 20 working days, in the requested format.
There are some exemptions to this Act. E.g. if the cost of a request for info exceeds the appropriate limit, the public authority may decide whether a greater public interest is being served by denying a request or supplying the info.
There are some exemptions to this Act. E.g. if the cost of a request for info exceeds the appropriate limit, the public authority may decide whether a greater public interest is being served by denying a request or supplying the info.
Computer Misuse Act 1990
This is a law in the UK that legislates against certain activities using computers, such as hacking into other people's systems, misusing software or helping a person to gain access to protected files on someone else's computer. It is split into 3 sections and makes illegal:
Unauthorised access to computer material
Unauthorised access to computer systems with intent to commit another offence
Unauthorised modification of computer material
Unauthorised access to computer material
Unauthorised access to computer systems with intent to commit another offence
Unauthorised modification of computer material
Ethical Issues
Business ethics are moral principles concerning acceptable and unacceptable behaviour by businesses. Codes of practice exist in organisations to maintain business ethics on:
use of email
internet
whistle-blowing
organisational policies
information ownership
use of email
internet
whistle-blowing
organisational policies
information ownership
Use of email
Many organisations today have a code of practice on the correct use of email.
Internet
Many companies also have a code of practice on the use of the internet and what their employees can and cannot use the internet for. There are also codes of practice which govern selling on the internet, which many businesses adhere to.
Whistle-blowing
This is an employee who raises a concern about a business practice - either to management within the company or to an outside organisation (e.g. the press) The concern may relate to fraud, crime, danger or any other serious risk that could impact on customers, colleagues or any other stakeholder or the organisation's reputation.
Whistle-blowers may receive legal protection through the Public Interest Disclosure Act, but the offence being reported must constitute a deliberate attempt to break the law.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/what-renegade-mi5-officer-david-shayler-did-next-1763246.html
Whistle-blowers may receive legal protection through the Public Interest Disclosure Act, but the offence being reported must constitute a deliberate attempt to break the law.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/what-renegade-mi5-officer-david-shayler-did-next-1763246.html
Organisational policies
Organisations may have many policies to ensure that their businesses practices with regard to information can be done more ethically. This could be anything from how they manage information to ensuring marketing and other business practices are fair and just.
Information ownership
If you create information in your day-to-day work, then you should be responsible for it, e.g. annual report. If you create it you are the information owner. If you own information, you have to protect the information's confidentiality and act with integrity when anything has to be altered with regard to the information.