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Consumer Guide P4 P5 D2
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Consumer Guide P4 P5 D2. unit 08 E-Commerce. Assignment B
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Eliot Hunter (ID: 16002495) Assignment B Unit 08 E-CommerceReview the Regulations governing E-Commerce
Data Protection Act (1998)
The Data Protection Act is a United Kingdom Act of Parliament and it defines the law of processing
data on living people. However, the Data Protection Act doesn’t mention privacy. It is protection of
individuals with regarding to the processing of personal data on the free movement of such data.
This provides a way for individuals to control information about themselves. Anyone holding data for
other purposes is legally obliged to comply with this Data Protection Act.
Computer Misuse Act (1990)
The computer misuse act is based on the ELC’s recommendations. MP Michael Colvin introduced a
private member’s bill. The bill came into effect in 1990 and it was supported by the government.
Sections 1-3 of the Act were three criminal offences:
1. unauthorised access to computer material, punishable by 12 months' imprisonment
2. unauthorised access with intent to commit or facilitate commission of further offences,
punishable by 12 months/maximum fine
3. unauthorised modification of computer material, punishable by 12 months/maximum fine
Hackers who program their computers to search through passwords are therefore liable. The
precondition to liability is that the hacker should know that trying to gain access is unauthorised.
Consumer Credit Act (1974)
The Consumer Credit Act (1974) introduces new levels of protection for the consumers and new
regulation for bodies who are trading in consumer credit and related industries. These kinds of
traders must have full licenses from the Office of Fair Trading, and they can be suspended or
removed following the event of irregularities. The Consumer Credit Act also regulates what can be
taken as security. It limits the ways credit organizations can advertise. This therefore gives the county
count the ability of the case or unfair credit agreements. Lastly, it also gives certain rights the debtor
as well and included in this is limited rights to cancel concluded agreements.
Trade Descriptions Act (1968)
The Trade Descriptions Act (1968) prevents manufacturers, service industry and retailers’ providers
from misleading consumers to what they spend their money on. If the companies apply a false
description on the goods is a strict liability offense. Provided shown that the description was applied
and is false, the accused company must prove certain defences to escape the conviction.
Consumer Protection Act (1987)
The Consumer Protection Act is designed to protect consumers and to give them rights when buying
goods and services. For example, manufacturers are legally obliged to put certain information on
their products, for example putting flammable labels on deodorant cans. The Consumer Protection
Act covers a range of major issues including fraud, unfair business practice, product liability and
many other business and consumer activities. If it is a European business, they must be not only
bound to the UK legislation but to also the European laws with consumer protection.
Freedom of Information Act (2000)
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 is something that creates a public “right to access” to
information which is held by public authorities. The Act does this in two ways:
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, Eliot Hunter (ID: 16002495) Assignment B Unit 08 E-Commerce
1. Public authorities are obliged to publish certain information about the activities that they do.
2. Members of the public (normal people) can request information from public authorities and
the requests can be declined or accepted.
The Freedom of Information Act (2000) covers any recorded information that is held by a public
authority in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland and UK-wide public authorities that are based in
Scotland. However, the Act does not allow people to gain access to their personal data such as health
records, credit reference file etc. If a member of the public wants to see that information that a
public authority holds, then the Data Protection Act would take place.
Copyright Legislation
This is a legal right that is created by the law of the country and this grants the creator of their own
original work exclusive rights for the use and distribution. However, this is only for a limited time. The
exclusive rights aren’t limited by the limited and exceptions to copyright law including the fair use. A
major limitation of copyright is that copyrighting only protects the original expressions of ideas.
Copyright is basically a form of intellectual property. When something is copyrighted by the author,
the duration of this copyright spans the authors life and the copyright will expire after the author has
been dead for 50 to 100 years depending on the jurisdiction. Most jurisdictions recognize copyright
limitations, allowing "fair" exceptions to the creator's exclusivity of copyright and giving users certain
rights.
Electronic Commerce Regulations (2002)
This Act establishes legal rules that online retailers and service providers must comply with when
dealing with consumers. The act dictates that the information that consumers must be provided with
in online transactions. When a retailer fails to provide information required by the directive, the
contract with the consumer may become invalid and it may be in breach or member state retail law.
Social Impact (and the Customer)
The benefits to Social Implications are:
1. Remote Shopping
2. Access to goods and services for the housebound
3. Anytime Access
4. Internet Discounts
Remote Shopping
Remote shopping is something that is shopping online or by catalogue by the comfort of your home.
The social implications would imply that one does not have to have any personal contact by shopping
at a store. There is no interchange with other shoppers, clerks, parking attendants, etc. Remote
shopping is at most, a one on one experience.
Access to goods and services for the housebound
This is an advantage because for people who are disabled/injured/elderly or generally just people
who cannot leave their house due to their problems, they need to do their shopping online. This is a
good option for them because they don’t have the difficulty of leaving their house, where in fact they
can get their shopping delivered by post, by van etc. This is an option that has become widely
available especially for supermarkets like Tesco or Asda.
Anytime Access
Anytime Access is something which people can order their goods/services at any time they want and
when they are needed. They can also be delivered within the proposed delivery time. Having
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