AQA Computer Science GCSE
Ethics - Cloud Computing
This area of Unit 8 links very strongly to parts of Unit 4 – Computer Systems: Data storage.
Cloud computing question - slides from class
Cloud storage is used to store data in a remote, off-site storage system. These may be anywhere in the world and are likely to be run by another organisation. Data is said to be stored "in the cloud".
Cloud storage requires access to the internet to work effectively. The higher the internet speed the quicker data can be uploaded ot the cloud or downloaded from it. This makes cloud data reliant on internet speeds - especially if larger files such as videos are going to be transferred or streamed.
The storage facility that data is stored at uses very large hard drives or solid state drives to store data on. These require large buildings and serious amounts of cooling. The buildings themselves need to be secure - especially if sensitive data such as details of new products or finances is going to be stored in them.
There are a range of pros and cons to using cloud storage:
- requires an internet connection, which has a cost associated with it
- mobile data may need to be used - which is limited and potentially costly
- data transfer speeds reliant on internet speed
- data no longer needs to be backed up - cloud systems typically allow removed data to be recovered and store multiple versions of files in different locations
- may require technical knowledge and up to date OS/web browser to use - data could become impossible for individuals to access as a result
- generally only requires a web browser to access - may be less need to install software (e.g. Google Docs)
- files can be shared easily with others, allowing collaborative working much more easily
- security may be an issue - can accounts be hacked? Are data storage sites secure? How strong is a password?
- data has to travel across more networks - each time it does this it may be intercepted
- how comfortable are you with an anonymous company storing all your data for you? Can you trust them? For how long?
- when systems go down there is no on-site backup (for example, Google calendar was down on 18 June 2019
)
You can find out more about data centers, including their environmental impacts, at Wikipedia.
BBC "Dirty Streaming" clip - March 2020
A word about AI
Artificial Intelligence, and the issues it brings, isn't yet on the AQA syllabus, although it probably will be. But AI does relate to data centers, because it requires so much data processing power. And so more cloud storage facilities.
This has massively increased the carbon footprint of companies involved in developing AI. Google's greenhouse gas emmissions (CO2 etc...) rose 48% between 2019 and 2024 as a result (see this Guardian article for details) and te company is even investing in its own nuclear power plants to try to reduce emissions (see this Guardian article) – although nuclear power brings its own environmental issues of course.
For context, Google has had a message on its front page for years about being environmentally friendly. As of October 2024, it says "out third decade of climate action" and has a link to find out more details. It includes a claim that AI will help sustainability...