Big picture
Technology has transformed how we learn, work, shop and communicate, but it also brings new responsibilities and risks. This unit asks: how should a digital citizen behave online, whose work can we use and how, what crimes happen online and how can we stay safe, and what happens to our old devices and our health?
Questions are short and conceptual. Learn each term with a clear example.
Learning goals
Explain digital footprints and how to manage them.
Apply net etiquette and communication etiquette.
Explain data protection and safe practices.
Explain intellectual property rights and their violations.
Explain open source software and common licences.
Identify cyber crimes and explain cyber safety and the IT Act.
Explain the hazards and management of e-waste.
Explain health concerns of technology use and ergonomics.
Core ideas
1. Digital footprints
A digital footprint is the record of a person's online activity.
Active digital footprint | Passive digital footprint |
|---|---|
Data you intentionally share: social media posts, emails, online forms, comments, uploaded photos | Data collected without your active input: browsing history, cookies, IP address, location, app usage |
Why it matters: footprints are nearly permanent, can be seen by colleges and employers, and can be misused for targeted ads, profiling or fraud. Manage it by thinking before posting, using privacy settings, deleting old accounts, and avoiding oversharing.
2. Being a responsible digital citizen
Net etiquette (netiquette)
Be ethical: don't violate copyright; share expertise for others' benefit.
Be respectful: respect others' privacy; respect diversity of opinions, cultures and beliefs.
Be responsible: avoid cyberbullying; don't feed internet trolls (people who post provocative messages to upset others).
Communication etiquette
Be precise: respect others' time; avoid sending large unnecessary attachments.
Be polite: use courteous language, even when disagreeing.
Be credible: check facts before posting or forwarding; avoid spreading fake news.
Social media etiquette: choose strong passwords, think before uploading, and know who you are befriending.
3. Data protection
Data protection means safeguarding personal and sensitive data (bank details, Aadhaar numbers, health records, passwords) from unauthorised access, misuse and loss.
Safe practices:
Use strong passwords, change them regularly, and enable two-factor authentication.
Share personal data only on secure websites (HTTPS, padlock symbol).
Don't share OTPs or passwords with anyone.
Log out of accounts on shared computers; avoid saving passwords there.
Keep devices updated and use antivirus software.
India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 governs how organisations collect and process personal data, requiring consent and purpose limitation.
4. Intellectual property rights (IPR)
Intellectual property includes inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, and symbols, names and images used in commerce. IPR give creators the right to control and benefit from their creations.
Right | Protects | Example |
|---|---|---|
Copyright | Original creative and artistic works, including software and code | A book, song, film, photograph, program |
Patent | New inventions, for a limited period (20 years in India) | A new process for purifying water |
Trademark | Words, symbols, logos or designs that identify a brand | A company's registered logo |
Violations of IPR
Plagiarism: using someone else's words, ideas or work without credit and passing them off as your own.
Copyright infringement: using copyrighted work without the owner's permission or licence, even with credit (for example, using a song from the internet in your video without a licence).
Trademark infringement: unauthorised use of another's trademark on products or services.
5. Open source software and licences
Free and open source software (FOSS) can be freely used, studied, modified and shared, because its source code is available. Examples: Linux (operating system), Python, MySQL (database), LibreOffice, Mozilla Firefox, GIMP (image editor).
Common licences
Licence | Key condition |
|---|---|
GNU GPL (General Public License) | Software can be modified and shared, but modified versions must also be released under the GPL (copyleft) |
Apache License | Permissive; modified versions can be distributed, even in proprietary software, with attribution and a copy of the licence |
Creative Commons (CC) | Used for creative works (images, text, music); conditions such as attribution (BY), share-alike (SA), non-commercial (NC) and no derivatives (ND) |
Proprietary software is owned by a company; its source code is closed and it must be licensed (bought). Freeware is free to use but closed source.
6. Cyber crime and cyber safety
Cyber crime is any crime committed using a computer and a network.
Cyber crime | Meaning |
|---|---|
Hacking | Unauthorised access to computers or data. Ethical hacking (by "white hat" hackers) is done legally, with permission, to find and fix security weaknesses |
Phishing | Fake emails, messages or websites designed to trick people into revealing passwords, bank details or OTPs |
Cyberbullying | Using technology to harass, threaten, insult or humiliate someone (mean messages, sharing embarrassing photos, spreading rumours) |
Identity theft | Stealing personal information to impersonate someone, often for financial fraud |
Ransomware | Malware that locks or encrypts files and demands payment to restore them |
Cyber trolling | Posting deliberately offensive or provocative messages to upset people |
Cyber safety tips: use strong passwords; don't click unknown links or attachments; verify senders; keep software and antivirus updated; use firewalls; back up data; don't share personal information with strangers; and report incidents at cybercrime.gov.in or helpline 1930.
7. The Indian IT Act, 2000
The Information Technology Act, 2000 (amended in 2008) is India's law dealing with cyber crime and electronic commerce. It:
gives legal recognition to electronic records and digital signatures;
provides a legal framework for e-governance and e-commerce;
defines cyber offences such as hacking, identity theft, publishing obscene content and data theft, and prescribes penalties;
set up Cyber Appellate Tribunals to resolve disputes.
8. E-waste: hazards and management
E-waste is discarded electrical and electronic equipment: computers, mobile phones, TVs, printers, batteries.
Hazards: e-waste contains toxic substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium, beryllium and brominated flame retardants. Dumped or burnt improperly, they pollute soil, water and air and damage human organs, the nervous system and the skin. Informal recycling exposes workers to these toxins.
Management (the 3 Rs):
Reduce: buy only what is needed; use devices longer.
Reuse: donate, refurbish or sell working devices.
Recycle: give e-waste to authorised recyclers, who recover metals safely.
India's E-Waste (Management) Rules make producers responsible for collecting and recycling e-waste (extended producer responsibility), and the Central Pollution Control Board monitors compliance.
9. Health concerns and ergonomics
Problem | Cause |
|---|---|
Eye strain (dry, tired eyes) | Long screen time, glare |
Back, neck and shoulder pain | Poor posture and seating |
Repetitive strain injury in wrists and fingers | Prolonged typing and mouse use |
Sleep problems | Screen use late at night |
Internet addiction and stress | Excessive use of devices, games and social media |
Ergonomics is the science of designing the workplace to suit the user, to reduce discomfort and injury: monitor at eye level and an arm's length away, chair with back support, feet flat on the floor, wrists straight, good lighting, regular breaks, and the 20-20-20 rule (every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds).
A reliable approach to questions
Identify the concept from the scenario: posting photos (active footprint), cookies tracking you (passive footprint), copying text without credit (plagiarism), fake bank email (phishing), files locked for money (ransomware).
For licences, ask whether modified versions must stay open (GPL) or can become proprietary (Apache).
For e-waste, mention the toxic substances, their effects, and the 3 Rs.
For health, name the problem and an ergonomic remedy.
Connections that matter
Internet and web explains cookies and HTTPS.
Responsible data practice expands on data privacy and ethical data use.
Computer Science: responsible computing covers the same issues for the CS syllabus.
Common mistakes
Thinking giving credit makes copyright use legal. Permission or a licence is also needed.
Calling ethical hacking a crime.
Calling freeware open source.
Thinking e-waste is safe in household garbage.
Revision checklist
I can distinguish active and passive digital footprints.
I can explain net and communication etiquette.
I can explain data protection practices.
I can explain IPR, plagiarism and infringement.
I can explain FOSS and the GPL, Apache and Creative Commons licences.
I can identify cyber crimes and explain the IT Act.
I can explain e-waste hazards and management, and ergonomics.