The Digital Divide from the Human Rights Perspective: Case of Poland on the European Union Background
摘要
The chapter will discuss the digital inequalities in the human rights concept in the contemporary world. According to the definition proposed by the OECD, the term “digital divide” refers to “the gap between individuals, households, businesses and geographic areas at different socio-economic levels about both their opportunities to access information and communication technologies (ICTs) and to their use of the internet for a wide variety of activities. The digital divide reflects differences among and within countries (OECD 2001). With the rise of various digital services, the digital divide seems to have become one of human rights violations. This became evident and painful during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the most severe reason for exclusion seems to be the motivational factor. All the more so because it is the category that is most difficult to combat. Hence, actions aimed at digital inclusion must be geared towards well-defined social objectives. As can be seen, simply providing technical access to the web does not mean that those disconnected from the internet will start to use these resources. The most appropriate way to combat an essential aspect of digital exclusion—motivational exclusion—is to build the need to use the internet around broader life motivations through proper educational and lifelong learning activities, demonstrating the benefits of being online. In this respect, active actions by states and NGOs are needed. Adequate legal guarantees are required in this regard.