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New
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Year 9

Protecting personal data

I can explain why online services collect data about users and the potential risks associated with it.

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New
New
Year 9

Protecting personal data

I can explain why online services collect data about users and the potential risks associated with it.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Online services often collect data about the people that use them.
  2. Data collected by online services can be processed into information that can be used for a variety of purposes.
  3. Data stored electronically is vulnerable to theft and should be protected.
  4. The Data Protection Act 2018 governs how personal data is collected, processed, stored, and used.

Keywords

  • Data - facts and figures in their raw form

  • Information - data that has been given structure or meaning

  • Personal data - a legal term that identifies information about a specific person

  • Legislation - a law or a set of laws that have been passed by Parliament

Common misconception

Laws are put in place by Parliament to stop crimes from happening.

Laws don't completely stop crime, but act as a deterrent by outlining the consequences of committing crimes.


To help you plan your year 9 computing lesson on: Protecting personal data, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Discuss with pupils about free services that people use on the internet. Explore what data people put in to these services and how companies might use this data. Where possible, use terms and conditions from these services to find out what users agree can be done with any personal data.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is another name for facts and figures in their raw form?
Correct Answer: data
Q2.
Match the term to the definition:
Correct Answer:personal data,data that can identify a person
tick

data that can identify a person

Correct Answer:input,data that is entered into a system for processing
tick

data that is entered into a system for processing

Correct Answer:output,the result produced by a computer after processing data
tick

the result produced by a computer after processing data

Correct Answer:storage,the act of saving data for future use
tick

the act of saving data for future use

Correct Answer:theft,the illegal act of taking someone else's property
tick

the illegal act of taking someone else's property

Q3.
Why do online services collect data about users?
Correct answer: to improve user experience
for no reason
to delete it immediately
to sell it to competitors
Q4.
What is a potential risk of sharing personal data online?
winning a prize
Correct answer: data theft
faster internet
more friends
Q5.
What should you be cautious of when entering data online?
spelling errors
colour scheme
font size
Correct answer: data breaches
Q6.
What is one way cyber criminals might use stolen data?
to create art
to help charities
Correct answer: to steal identities
to improve security

6 Questions

Q1.
Match each term to its definition:
Correct Answer:data,facts and figures in their raw form
tick

facts and figures in their raw form

Correct Answer:information,data that has been given structure or meaning
tick

data that has been given structure or meaning

Correct Answer:personal data,information that identifies a specific person
tick

information that identifies a specific person

Correct Answer:adverts,promotions that appear online, often tailored to user interests
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promotions that appear online, often tailored to user interests

Q2.
What is a potential consequence of not protecting personal data?
increased popularity
Correct answer: data theft
faster internet
more friends
Q3.
What does the Data Protection Act 2018 regulate?
how data is deleted
how to make data fun
Correct answer: how personal data is collected, processed, stored and used
how to ignore data
Q4.
What is a common misconception about laws?
Correct answer: they completely prevent crime
they outline consequences
they are ignored
they are optional
Q5.
What is the term for a law or set of laws passed by Parliament?
Correct Answer: legislation
Q6.
How does legislation help in data protection?
by ignoring data issues
by deleting data
by making data public
Correct answer: by setting rules and consequences