Data Privacy and Digital Ethics - SSS 1 | CMPNOTE

DATA PRIVACY AND DIGITAL ETHICS

Subject: Digital Technologies

Class: SSS 1

Term: Second Term

Week: 9

Duration: 80 Minutes (Double Period)

Topic: Data Privacy and Digital Ethics

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

Explain the meaning of data privacy and digital ethics.
Identify different types of personal information.
Explain responsible use of digital technologies.
Describe cyberbullying and ways to respond to it.
State ways of protecting personal data online.
Explain the importance of data protection rules and laws.

1. Meaning of Data Privacy

Data privacy is the protection and proper handling of personal information, including deciding how information is collected, used, stored, shared and accessed.

People provide information when they use websites, social media, mobile applications, online shopping services and digital learning platforms. Some information is shared deliberately, while other information may be collected by services as people use them. Data privacy helps individuals maintain control over their personal information and reduces the risk of misuse, identity theft, embarrassment and unwanted exposure.

Examples of Personal Data

Full name and date of birth.
Home address and telephone number.
Email address and school details.
Photographs, videos and voice recordings.
Account usernames, passwords and verification codes.
Banking and payment information.
Location information.
Health information and other sensitive personal details.

Remember: A password or verification code should never be shared with another person simply because they claim to be a friend, school official or service provider. Use official channels to verify unexpected requests.

2. Meaning of Digital Ethics

Digital ethics refers to the moral principles and responsible behaviour that guide how people use computers, mobile devices, the Internet and other digital technologies.

Digital ethics encourages people to use technology honestly, respectfully, fairly and responsibly. It applies to online communication, social media, digital content, personal information and the work of others.

Examples of Digital Ethics

Respecting the privacy of other people.
Obtaining permission before sharing someone's private photograph or information.
Avoiding cyberbullying, harassment and insulting messages.
Giving credit to the original creator of digital work.
Not copying another person's work and presenting it as one's own.
Avoiding the spread of false information.
Respecting software licences and copyright.
Using school computers and online learning platforms appropriately.

3. Responsible Use of Digital Technologies

Responsible digital behaviour means making safe, respectful and lawful choices when using technology.

A. Respect Others Online

Communicate politely, even when disagreeing with another person. Avoid threats, insults, discriminatory language and deliberate embarrassment.

B. Think Before Posting

Information, photographs and comments shared online may be copied, forwarded or saved by others. Consider whether a post is accurate, appropriate and safe before publishing it.

C. Respect Privacy and Consent

Ask permission before publishing another person's photograph, recording or private message when permission is appropriate. Do not share another person's personal details to embarrass, threaten or expose them.

D. Respect Intellectual Property

Do not copy digital content and claim it as your own. Credit the creator, follow copyright requirements and use materials according to their licences.

E. Share Information Responsibly

Check the reliability of information before forwarding it. Avoid spreading rumours, fake news, manipulated images or unverified claims.

F. Use Technology for Positive Purposes

Use digital tools for learning, communication, creativity, research and other constructive activities. Follow school rules and the terms of services you use.

G. Protect Accounts and Devices

Use strong, unique passwords, enable multi-factor authentication where available, update software and avoid suspicious links or downloads.

4. Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is the use of digital technologies to bully, threaten, humiliate, harass or deliberately harm another person.

Cyberbullying may occur through social media, messaging applications, online games, email, discussion forums or other digital platforms.

Examples of Cyberbullying

Sending repeated threatening or insulting messages.
Posting embarrassing photographs or videos to humiliate someone.
Creating fake accounts to impersonate or ridicule another person.
Sharing someone's private information without permission to harm them.
Spreading harmful rumours about a student online.
Deliberately excluding or targeting someone in online groups to cause distress.

Effects of Cyberbullying

Fear, sadness, anxiety or emotional distress.
Loss of confidence and self-esteem.
Difficulty concentrating on schoolwork.
Withdrawal from friends and online activities.
Damage to a person's reputation and relationships.

How to Respond to Cyberbullying

Do not retaliate: Avoid responding with threats or abusive messages.
Keep evidence: Where safe, save screenshots, dates and relevant messages.
Block the offender: Use available platform controls to limit unwanted contact.
Report the behaviour: Use the platform's reporting tools.
Tell a trusted adult: Speak to a parent, teacher, school counsellor or another trusted person.
Seek urgent help when necessary: Report credible threats of physical harm or immediate danger to appropriate trusted adults and authorities.

Important: If someone is being cyberbullied, support them rather than forwarding, liking or commenting on harmful posts. Reporting the behaviour can help prevent further harm.

5. Protecting Personal Data Online

Personal data protection involves using appropriate practices to prevent personal information from being lost, stolen, exposed or misused.

Ways to Protect Personal Data

Use strong passwords: Create long, unique passwords for important accounts.
Enable multi-factor authentication: Add another verification step where available.
Limit information sharing: Provide only the personal information that is necessary.
Review privacy settings: Check who can view your profile, posts, photographs and contact details.
Check app permissions: Consider whether an application genuinely needs access to your camera, microphone, contacts or location.
Use secure websites: Check for HTTPS when entering information, while remembering that HTTPS alone does not prove a website is trustworthy.
Avoid suspicious links: Verify unexpected messages and requests before responding.
Keep devices updated: Install security updates from trusted sources.
Log out on shared devices: Do not leave personal accounts open on public or shared computers.
Back up important information: Keep secure copies of important files.

Digital Footprint

A digital footprint is the trail of information a person leaves through activities performed online.

A digital footprint may include posts, comments, photographs, searches, uploaded files and information collected by digital services. There are two broad forms:

Active digital footprint: Information a person deliberately shares, such as a social media post or comment.
Passive digital footprint: Information collected as a person uses a service, such as certain browsing or usage data.

Why Your Digital Footprint Matters

It may affect how other people perceive you.
Public posts can be copied or shared beyond the intended audience.
Oversharing may reveal personal details that could be misused.
A positive digital footprint can show responsible learning, creativity and participation.

Practical rule: Before sharing something online, ask: Is it true? Is it respectful? Do I have permission to share it? Could it expose me or someone else to harm?

6. Data Protection Laws and Rules

Data protection laws and rules establish requirements for how personal information should be collected, used, stored, disclosed and protected. They help protect individuals from inappropriate handling or misuse of their personal data and may place responsibilities on organisations that process it.

General Principles of Data Protection

Lawfulness and fairness: Personal data should be handled on a proper legal basis and fairly.
Transparency: People should receive understandable information about how their data is used.
Purpose limitation: Information should be collected for specified, legitimate purposes.
Data minimisation: Only the information needed for the purpose should generally be collected.
Accuracy: Reasonable steps should be taken to keep personal data accurate.
Security: Appropriate measures should protect information from unauthorised access, loss or disclosure.
Accountability: Organisations should be able to demonstrate that they meet their data protection responsibilities.

Data Protection in Nigeria

Nigeria has the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, which provides a legal framework for the protection of personal data and establishes responsibilities relating to personal data processing. The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) is the country's data protection regulator. The law is relevant to the handling of personal information by organisations and other parties covered by its provisions. Specific rights and obligations depend on the circumstances and the applicable legal requirements.

Why Data Protection Laws Matter

They help safeguard people's personal information.
They establish responsibilities for organisations that handle personal data.
They support appropriate security and responsible information handling.
They provide a framework for addressing certain forms of misuse or improper processing.
They encourage public trust in digital services.

Remember: Do not assume that information posted publicly can be used for every purpose. Privacy, consent, copyright and other legal requirements may still apply.

7. Data Privacy and Digital Ethics: Differences

Data Privacy	Digital Ethics
Focuses on the proper handling and protection of personal information.	Focuses on moral and responsible behaviour when using digital technologies.
Includes decisions about collecting, storing, using and sharing personal data.	Includes honesty, respect, fairness, consent and responsible communication.
Example: Restricting access to a student's private records.	Example: Refusing to share an embarrassing photograph of a classmate.

The two concepts are closely related. Respecting privacy is an important part of ethical digital behaviour.

8. Classroom Activities

Activity 1: Safe or Unsafe?

Classify each action as safe or unsafe and explain your answer.

Sharing your verification code with someone who claims to be a platform administrator.
Asking permission before posting a friend's photograph.
Forwarding a rumour without checking whether it is true.
Using privacy settings to limit who can see your posts.
Reporting repeated abusive messages to a trusted adult.

Activity 2: Responding to Cyberbullying

A student discovers that classmates are sharing an embarrassing photograph of another student in a group chat. Discuss:

Why sharing the photograph may be harmful.
What the student receiving the image should avoid doing.
How the affected student can seek help.
How classmates can support the affected student.

Activity 3: Personal Data Checklist

Ask students to prepare a checklist of at least eight steps they can take to protect their personal information online.

9. Summary

Data privacy concerns the proper handling and protection of personal information.
Digital ethics guides responsible, respectful and fair behaviour when using technology.
Cyberbullying involves using digital technologies to threaten, harass or harm others.
Cyberbullying should be addressed by preserving appropriate evidence, blocking and reporting the offender, and seeking help.
Personal data can be protected through strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, privacy settings, software updates and careful information sharing.
A digital footprint is the trail of information left by online activities.
Data protection laws establish requirements for the proper handling of personal information.
Responsible digital citizenship includes respecting privacy, avoiding harmful behaviour and checking information before sharing it.

10. Evaluation Questions

Define data privacy and digital ethics.
List six examples of personal data.
State five principles of responsible digital behaviour.
What is cyberbullying? Mention four examples.
Explain five ways of protecting personal data online.
What is a digital footprint? Differentiate between active and passive digital footprints.
Explain the purpose of data protection laws and name Nigeria's data protection regulator.

11. Assignment

Write short notes on data privacy, digital ethics and digital footprint.
List five effects of cyberbullying and explain five ways to respond to it responsibly.
Prepare ten rules for protecting personal information when using social media.
Explain the importance of data protection laws to students, schools and organisations.

12. Revision Quiz

Choose the correct answer for each question. Click Check Answers to see your score.

1. What is data privacy?

A. Making every file publicly available B. Protecting and properly handling personal information C. Increasing computer screen brightness D. Deleting all online accounts

2. Which is an example of digital ethics?

A. Sharing someone's password without permission B. Spreading rumours about a classmate C. Copying another person's work without credit D. Respecting other people's privacy online

3. What is cyberbullying?

A. Using digital technologies to bully or harm another person B. Updating a computer program C. Creating a secure password D. Backing up school documents

4. What should a student do when experiencing cyberbullying?

A. Forward the harmful messages to everyone B. Retaliate with threats C. Preserve appropriate evidence, report the behaviour and seek help D. Publish the offender's private information

5. Which of the following is personal data?

A. A general mathematical formula B. A person's home address C. A public weather report D. A general dictionary definition

6. What is a digital footprint?

A. A mark made by a printer B. A type of computer keyboard C. A tool for cleaning computer screens D. The trail of information left through online activities

7. Which action helps protect personal data?

A. Sharing verification codes with friends B. Using the same password everywhere C. Reviewing privacy settings and limiting unnecessary sharing D. Posting private information publicly

8. What is the purpose of data protection laws?

A. To establish rules for the proper handling of personal information B. To require everyone to publish their passwords C. To prevent people from using computers D. To make all online information secret automatically

9. Which organisation regulates data protection in Nigeria?

A. Nigerian Football Federation B. National Library of Nigeria C. Federal Road Safety Corps D. Nigeria Data Protection Commission

10. Which action demonstrates responsible digital citizenship?

A. Posting another person's private messages to embarrass them B. Checking information before sharing it and treating others respectfully C. Sharing rumours without verification D. Creating fake accounts to insult people

CMPNOTE | Digital Technologies — SSS 1, Second Term, Week 9