The coronavirus pandemic has served as a stark reminder of the importance of internet access for participation in society. Lockdowns and other severe restrictions on movement have forced a large part of the world’s population to move both professional and social interactions online. With an increasingly large portion of our lives being conducted virtually, internet access has become a crucial tool for individuals to take advantage of their opportunities in society.

In 2020, lack of internet access has also influenced people’s rights beyond simply access to information. As education and work increasingly moved online, children and adults without a reliable internet connection in their homes were isolated from their right to education and work. They also had less access to health information from the authorities, which left them more vulnerable to the virus.

When discussing the prevalence of internet connections in a population, one refers to the internet penetration rate. This measurement describes the percentage of a total population of a given country or region that uses the Internet. While regions like North America and Europe have an internet penetration rate of around 90%, the average penetration rate in Africa is only 39.3%. Some countries, like the Central African Republic, Chad, Madagascar, and Togo, have internet penetration rates of only 10-15%.

This means that a large majority of citizens in these countries do not have access to the benefits of the internet. Even before the pandemic, the internet was the best tool to ensure that information from both public authorities and the media are always available and easily accessible for individual citizens.

The term “digital divide” is used to refer to the gap between those who have access to information communications technologies and those who do not. This divide does not only exist between countries and regions, but within countries and societies. Marginalised groups, women, and poor or rural communities have significantly lower rates of access than privileged groups and urban dwellers, especially in developing countries with low coverage.

Men in low-income countries are 90% more likely to own a mobile phone than women, and urban internet access was 2.3 times higher than in rural areas. The digital divide thus solidifies already existing inequalities in our societies.

These inequalities in internet access have large implications, both for the human rights of those without access and for the economy. Lack of connectivity reduces economic growth and productivity, and the individuals left behind have less opportunities than their peers to receive an education and find work.

The idea of equality of opportunity lies at the very heart of liberalism, and it is crucial for achieving more equal societies where every individual can take advantage of the opportunities presented to them. In today’s world, a reliable internet connection is a crucial tool to achieve this. To ensure equality of opportunity, liberals everywhere should strive for improved infrastructure and coverage, not only in developing countries but among marginalised groups in every society.

Main image: Beyond Access on Flickr