Social and ethical issues in HSC Information Processes and Technology project management
“Describe the social and ethical issues a project team must address, including privacy, security, accuracy, data quality, changing nature of work and the digital divide”
A project team must design for privacy, security, accuracy and data quality, and must weigh the wider impact of the system on people. Privacy means collecting only what is needed and protecting personal data. Security means guarding data against loss, theft and unauthorised access. Accuracy and data quality mean the information is correct, current and complete. The team must also consider the changing nature of work (jobs lost, created or reshaped), the digital divide (unequal access to technology), health concerns such as ergonomics, and legal duties under privacy and copyright law. These responsibilities run through every stage of development.
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Legacy course. This page covers HSC Information Processes and Technology (IPT), which NESA has replaced. The last IPT HSC exam was held in 2024; current students study Enterprise Computing 11-12 or Software Engineering 11-12 (first HSC exams in 2025). See the IPT hub for what carries over, or our HSC Software Engineering hub. Use this page as background only.
What this dot point is asking
NESA wants you to describe the social and ethical responsibilities a project team carries when it designs and builds an information system. You are expected to go beyond listing the issues: you must explain why each matters, who is affected, and what a responsible team does about it across the whole development process, not just at the end.
The answer
Why social and ethical design matters
An information system is never just code and hardware. It collects data about real people, automates work that people used to do, and changes how an organisation behaves. A team that ignores these effects can build a system that is technically correct but harmful, illegal or rejected by its users. NESA treats social and ethical responsibility as a thread running through the entire project, so a strong answer ties each issue back to a design decision.
Privacy
Privacy is the right of individuals to control information about themselves. A responsible team collects only the data the system genuinely needs, tells people why it is being collected, and limits who can see it. In Australia the Privacy Act and the Australian Privacy Principles set legal expectations: personal information should be collected fairly, kept accurate, secured, and not used for unrelated purposes. Design choices that protect privacy include consent on web forms, access controls, and not storing sensitive fields you do not need.
Security of data
Security is protecting data and the system against loss, damage, theft and unauthorised access. The team builds in user accounts and passwords, encryption of stored and transmitted data, audit logs, firewalls, and a backup and recovery plan. Security and privacy are linked: you cannot keep data private if you cannot keep it secure. A weak login, an unencrypted database, or no backup are all design failures.
Accuracy and data quality
Information is only useful if it is accurate, current, relevant and complete. The team designs validation (range checks, type checks, check digits) to stop bad data entering the system, and verification (double entry, confirmation screens) to catch errors at the source. Poor data quality leads to wrong decisions, so quality control is an ethical duty, not just a technical nicety.
The changing nature of work
A new information system reshapes the jobs of the people who use it. Automation can remove repetitive tasks, create new roles (for example, system administrators), or de-skill existing ones. The team should consider retraining, the effect on job satisfaction, and the risk of unemployment. Telecommuting and flexible work, made possible by communication systems, also change where and when people work.
The digital divide
The digital divide is the gap between those who have ready access to technology and the skills to use it, and those who do not. A system delivered only online can exclude users without reliable internet, older users, or users with disabilities. Designing for accessibility, offering alternatives, and considering cost of access are ethical responses to the divide.
Health and ergonomics
Systems that people use for long periods raise health issues: repetitive strain injury, eye strain, and poor posture. Ergonomic design of the interface and the workspace, including adjustable equipment and well-designed screens, is part of responsible design.
Legal responsibilities
Beyond privacy law, the team must respect copyright and intellectual property when using images, code and data, and must consider the legal status of records the system creates. Acting legally is the floor; acting ethically often asks for more than the law requires.
Privacy and security are related but not the same. Security is about protecting data from unauthorised access and loss; privacy is about controlling what data is collected and how it is used. A system can be highly secure yet still violate privacy by collecting data it has no need for.
Listing issues without explaining them. The word privacy on its own earns little; markers want privacy tied to a design decision such as collecting only necessary fields.
Confusing privacy and security. Keep them distinct: security protects data; privacy governs its collection and use.
Treating social and ethical issues as a final step. They belong in every stage, from defining requirements to maintenance, so do not bolt them on at the end of an answer.
Ignoring who is affected. A strong response names the stakeholders, the participants, the people whose data is held, and the wider community, not just the organisation.
Forgetting accuracy. Many students cover privacy and security but never mention data quality, which is an explicitly listed responsibility.
Exam-style questions
Questions in the style of NESA exam questions on this dot point, each with a worked answer. They are written by ExamExplained unless tagged "Past paper"; the year shows the paper a question is modelled on.
2022 HSC-style4 marksA project team suggests using parallel conversion to implement a new system. It will significantly improve workflow for employees but will result in jobs being lost. Explain the social issues arising if this suggestion is implemented.Show worked answer →
For 4 marks explain (give cause and effect for) the social issues, not just name them.
Changing nature of work and unemployment. Because the new system improves workflow, fewer staff are needed, so some employees lose their jobs. This causes financial hardship and stress for those workers and can lower morale for those who remain.
Need for retraining and redeployment. The team has an ethical responsibility to consider retraining displaced employees for new roles created by the system, rather than simply making them redundant.
Effect on remaining participants. Staff who keep their jobs may face new responsibilities and need training to operate the system, which changes their working conditions.
Duty of the development team. The team should weigh the productivity benefit against the social cost, consult affected staff, and manage the change ethically (for example phased communication and support).
Markers reward explaining the human impact and the team's responsibility, supported by the parallel conversion context.
2022 HSC-style4 marksA builder is designing a house with internet-connected wireless devices (a doorbell with camera, microphone and speaker, indoor motion sensors and indoor cameras). Explain TWO ethical issues that could arise from the use of this system.Show worked answer →
For 4 marks (2 marks each) explain two distinct ethical issues with cause and effect, linked to the smart home devices.
Privacy and surveillance. The cameras, microphone and motion sensors continuously capture images and audio of residents and visitors. Visitors may be recorded without their knowledge or consent, raising the ethical issue of collecting personal data without informed consent.
Data security and ownership. The footage is sent over the internet and stored in the manufacturer's online account, so there is an ethical issue around who controls and secures that data. If the account is breached or the company misuses the data, sensitive recordings of the home could be exposed.
Markers reward two clearly different ethical issues, each explained with its effect on people, not just labelled.
2022 HSC-style5 marksDiscuss the social and ethical issues arising from using public wifi in a local library. In your answer, make reference to control of access to the internet and messaging systems such as those used on social media platforms.Show worked answer →
"Discuss" at 5 marks wants a balanced treatment of arguments for and against, covering both prompts.
Control of access to the internet:
For: filtering or content controls on the library wifi protect minors and other users from inappropriate or illegal material and limit misuse of a public resource.
Against: filtering can restrict legitimate access to information, raising censorship and equity concerns, and the digital divide means some people rely on library wifi as their only internet access.
Messaging and social media systems:
Public wifi is often unencrypted, so messages and logins can be intercepted, creating privacy and security risks.
Social media use on shared computers raises issues of cyberbullying, harassment and inappropriate content, and the library has a duty of care to manage acceptable use.
Conclude that the library must balance open, equitable access against protecting users and maintaining security. Markers reward a two-sided discussion that addresses both named aspects.