Re:publica | Digital Divide: The New Poverty Trap

"We can now speak of digital colonialism," says Lanna Idriss, CEO of SOS Children's Villages, at the "Re:publica 25" media conference. At the far end of the grounds in Berlin-Kreuzberg, far from the playful entrance hall with its ball pit, robot experiments, and pinball machines, she focuses on the serious topics of the conference. Statistically, two people in the world will achieve billionaire status during Re:publica alone, further widening the gap between rich and poor.

At the same time, the "digital divide" is widening. This is the gap between those who have access to the internet, digital education, and communication, and those who lack it. Yet, according to Idriss, digital skills are now a basic prerequisite for people's independent development.

"The situation is complex and has a lot to do with power and capitalism."

Lanna Idriss SOS Children's Village

1.3 billion children and young people worldwide live without internet access today. As adults, they will have fewer options for pursuing a career that will help them escape poverty. In high-income countries, 93 percent of the population now has access, compared to 27 percent in low-income countries. This is primarily determined by infrastructure. For example, the decision to lay submarine cables for data traffic - a household name since the alleged attacks by the Russian shadow fleet - continues to lie with a few large corporations such as Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon. "The situation is complex and has a lot to do with power and capitalism," summarizes Idriss.

The digital divide is easily identifiable by certain figures. For example, while two percent of the population in Kenya has internet access, the opposite is true in Germany: two percent of the population does not. At the same time, according to Eurostat, the European statistics agency, three million people between the ages of 16 and 74 will have never been online in 2023. This corresponds to approximately five percent of that population group. Within Germany, the digital divide manifests itself in a different way.

According to a 2023 study by the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband (Paritätische Welfare Association), the risk of being left behind digitally in Germany is particularly high for those affected by poverty. One in five of them lacks their own internet connection. There is a lack of technology and opportunities to acquire digital skills. Furthermore, there are significant differences between age categories and gender.

"In some core areas of our work, there is an overrepresentation of groups that are less digitally savvy," Jasmin Rocha, head of the Digitalization Department at the social association Diakonie, confirms the Paritätische newspaper's impressions in an interview with "nd." "We can see this, for example, in the extent to which online consultations are used." Job centers often ask people to write an email. "Then we often hear the response: 'But I don't have an email address.'"

Rocha is standing in the foyer of Re:publica, under a glass roof and numerous steel girders at the welfare associations' booth. This year, they've made digital participation their mission. To this end, they're presenting various projects, such as an interactive citizen's income calculator. Using a colorful wheel, people can indicate how much they spend per month on various areas of their lives and whether they could get by on 563 euros. For most of those experimenting, the answer is quick: hardly. "Enabling digital participation for everyone means consistently breaking down barriers and creating genuine equal opportunities," said Joachim Rock, Managing Director of the Paritätische, emphasizing the associations' plans ahead of the conference.

"Then we often hear the answer: 'But I don't have an email address.'"

Jasmin Rocha Diakonie

Diametrically opposed to this is the right to analog participation for digitally disadvantaged groups. A well-known example: the case of Spaniard Carlos San Juan de Laorden. In 2021, he was annoyed that various banking services were only available online and started a petition with the catchy title "I'm old, but not stupid." 650,000 people signed the petition within a very short time.

However, older people are by no means the only ones who continue to advocate for the right to participate in analogue society. Digitalization also poses particular challenges for homeless people. They often have difficulty powering their devices. Since the passage of the 2017 Anti-Terrorism Act, it has also become a challenge for people without a fixed address to acquire SIM cards. These are no longer legally available without a residential address and ID card. These are new aspects of inclusion and exclusion that could become more entrenched as a result of the increasing degree of digitalization.

"Our mission is to help people with social challenges throughout their lives. This can be analog or digital," says Rocha. Technology is a tool that civil society should use as effectively as possible.

In addition to the stand of the welfare associations, Janine Steiz from the Berufsgenossenschaft Verwaltungs-Berufsgenossenschaft (Administrative Accident Insurance Association) is addressing a fundamental demand repeatedly raised by those affected by poverty. The accident insurance company is currently developing a tool to make the "historically evolved and legally influenced" language of the authorities more understandable, as Steiz puts it. The goal is a program that suggests simpler formulations to employees – who would then have to ensure that the legal context is not changed as a result.

Rocha also noted that AI can be particularly helpful in welfare administration. Beyond that, there are still analog options. For example, if someone doesn't have an email address, there's always the good old way to contact someone by phone.