AP Computer Science Principles Practice Quiz: Legal and Ethical Concerns

Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026

Test your understanding with short quizzes. This quiz has 16 questions to check your progress.

Question 1 of 16

According to the provided text, when an individual creates a digital document on a computer, who holds the intellectual property rights to that material?

A)The software company that made the programB)The creator of the material or their organizationC)The governmentD)It becomes public domain immediately

All Questions (16)

According to the provided text, when an individual creates a digital document on a computer, who holds the intellectual property rights to that material?

A) The software company that made the program

B) The creator of the material or their organization

C) The government

D) It becomes public domain immediately

Correct Answer: B

The text explicitly states, 'Material created on a computer is the intellectual property of the creator or an organization.'

What aspect of digitized information raises significant concerns about intellectual property ownership, value, and use?

A) The complexity of creating digital files

B) The high cost of digital storage

C) The ease of access and distribution

D) The requirement for specialized hardware to view it

Correct Answer: C

The text states, 'Ease of access and distribution of digitized information raises intellectual property concerns regarding ownership, value, and use.'

Using someone else's creative work without their permission and presenting it as one's own is known as what?

A) Open sourcing

B) Creative Commons licensing

C) Plagiarism

D) Digital distribution

Correct Answer: C

This is the definition of plagiarism provided in the text: 'The use of material created by someone else without permission and presented as one’s own is plagiarism...'

Which of the following is identified in the text as a legal framework for using materials created by others?

A) Algorithmic bias

B) The digital divide

C) Intellectual property theft

D) Creative Commons

Correct Answer: D

The text lists 'Creative Commons, open source, and open access' as examples of legal ways to use materials created by someone else.

The 'digital divide,' which refers to the gap between those who have access to modern information technology and those who don't, is primarily described in the text as what type of concern?

A) A legal concern

B) An ethical concern

C) An intellectual property concern

D) A software development concern

Correct Answer: B

The text directly states, 'The digital divide raises ethical concerns around computing.'

Beyond intellectual property, the use of computing can raise legal and ethical concerns when it is involved in which of the following?

A) Creating original digital art

B) Enabling broad access to information

C) Harming individuals or influencing social issues

D) Safeguarding personal data

Correct Answer: C

The text mentions that 'using computing to harm individuals or groups of people raises legal and ethical concerns' and that computing's role in 'social and political issues' also raises these concerns.

A student is writing a research paper and includes a quote from an online article. According to the provided guidelines, what must the student do?

A) Cite the source only if the quote is longer than two sentences

B) Always cite the source of the material

C) Only cite the source if it is under a Creative Commons license

D) Paraphrase the material to avoid citation

Correct Answer: B

The text is unequivocal: 'The use of material created by someone other than you should always be cited.'

What has been a primary outcome of frameworks like open source and open access?

A) They have increased the digital divide.

B) They have eliminated all legal concerns in computing.

C) They have enabled broad access to digital information.

D) They have made all digital material the property of the creator's organization.

Correct Answer: C

The text states, 'Creative Commons, open source, and open access have enabled broad access to digital information.'

Which of the following is provided as an example of a computing innovation that can introduce legal and ethical concerns?

A) The development of open-source software

B) The creation of a personal blog

C) The development of biased algorithms

D) The use of citation management tools

Correct Answer: C

The text explicitly mentions 'the development of biased algorithms or software for digital media downloads' as examples of computing innovations that can raise legal and ethical concerns.

Given the ease with which digital information can be distributed, what does the text suggest should be done regarding intellectual property?

A) It should be automatically placed in the public domain.

B) Measures should be taken to safeguard it.

C) It should only be shared under open access licenses.

D) Its value should be disregarded.

Correct Answer: B

The text clearly states, 'Measures should be taken to safeguard intellectual property.'

A programmer finds a useful code snippet on a public forum and incorporates it into their commercial software without acknowledging the original author. This action could be considered a form of what?

A) Open access contribution

B) Plagiarism

C) Creative Commons licensing

D) Bridging the digital divide

Correct Answer: B

The programmer is using material created by someone else and presenting it as their own work without permission or citation, which aligns with the definition of plagiarism.

A graphic designer is hired by a marketing firm to create a logo. The designer creates the logo on a company-owned computer. Based on the provided text, who most likely owns the intellectual property of the logo?

A) The designer, because they are the creator

B) The public, because it was made on a computer

C) The marketing firm, as the creator's organization

D) The software company that makes the design program

Correct Answer: C

The text states that intellectual property belongs to 'the creator or an organization.' In a work-for-hire context, the organization typically owns the IP.

The development of software for unauthorized digital media downloads raises legal and ethical concerns primarily because it combines the ease of digital distribution with which other issue?

A) The digital divide

B) A potential violation of intellectual property rights

C) The promotion of open-source ideals

D) The creation of biased algorithms

Correct Answer: B

Software for downloading digital media facilitates the easy distribution of digitized information, which raises intellectual property concerns, as stated in the text. This is a direct application of the principles regarding computing innovations and IP.

When computing platforms are used to organize large-scale social movements or influence political campaigns, what types of concerns are most likely to arise, according to the text?

A) Primarily software licensing concerns

B) Primarily hardware compatibility concerns

C) Legal and ethical concerns

D) Open access and citation concerns

Correct Answer: C

The text directly links computing's role in 'social and political issues' to the raising of 'legal and ethical concerns.'

A person uses a computer to create and spread false information online to damage a rival's business. This action is a clear example of which concern mentioned in the text?

A) A positive use of open access material

B) A consequence of the digital divide

C) Using computing to harm individuals or groups

D) A legal application of Creative Commons

Correct Answer: C

This scenario directly illustrates the principle that 'using computing to harm individuals or groups of people raises legal and ethical concerns.'

Which statement best summarizes a central theme of the provided text regarding computing?

A) The primary function of computing is to provide open access to all information.

B) The use of computing is inherently unethical and should be strictly regulated.

C) Computing innovations, particularly regarding the distribution of information, introduce complex legal and ethical challenges.

D) Intellectual property laws do not apply to material created on a computer.

Correct Answer: C

This option best synthesizes the overall message. The text discusses how computing raises legal/ethical concerns (Point 1) and specifically highlights how the ease of distributing digitized information creates intellectual property challenges (Point 3), among other issues like bias and harm.