A fitness app that goes abroad
A small team builds a fitness app. It asks for age, weight and heart rate. It uses AI to give advice. It will be sold in the UK and in other countries.
Before the first line of code, the team has questions. Which laws apply? What must we do? What if we get it wrong?
In this lesson you put the laws together and think about borders.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Legislation | Laws made by a government. | The Equality Act 2010 |
| Compliance | Following the laws and rules that apply to you. | Checking data rules before launch |
| Regulator | A body that checks that organisations follow the rules. | The ICO |
| Jurisdiction | The area where a country's law applies. | England and Wales |
| Treaty | A written agreement between countries. | An agreement to fight cybercrime together |
| Surveillance | Watching people or their messages. | A government that monitors phone calls |
| Personal data | Information about a living person that can show who they are. | A name or a heart rate record |
| Bias | Treating some people less fairly, often without meaning to. | A tool that works well for only one group |
| Cyberspace | The online world made by connected computers. | Websites, apps and cloud services |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Quick check: which law?
Have a go
Quick check: which law?
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Laws and what they mean for a developer
| Law | What a developer must do | Who it protects |
|---|---|---|
| Health and Safety at Work Act and DSE rules | Keep the workplace safe. Plan breaks and desk checks | The people who work in the team |
| Data protection law | Collect only what is needed. Keep it safe. Delete it on time | The users whose data it is |
| Computer Misuse Act 1990 | Never access systems without permission. Protect the system from misuse | Computers, data and the public |
| Equality Act 2010 | Build for all users. Check for bias. Treat staff fairly | Staff and users |
| Designs and patents | Protect your own ideas. Do not copy others | Inventors and designers |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Laws shape how software is made
Laws are not only a risk. They help build trust. A user who knows their data is safe is more likely to use your app.
But laws also cost time and money. A small team must plan for them from the start. Fixing a problem after launch costs much more.
Judging the impact of one law
| On | Possible good | Possible bad |
|---|---|---|
| The organisation | Fewer breaches. More trust from customers | Extra cost. More work before launch |
| An individual (user) | Data kept safe. Fair treatment | More forms to fill in |
| Society | Safer services. Fairer access | Rules can be hard for very small teams to follow |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Quick check: good or bad?
Have a go
Quick check: good or bad?
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.