Publication: Tackling digital exclusion

August 22, 2024 by Auditor General, Accounts Commission

Publication cover: Tackling digital exclusion

Clearer leadership and focus needed to tackle digital exclusion

As more key services move online, all public bodies must deliver on their responsibilities to ensure everyone can access the services they need. This includes the one in six Scottish adults who lack the digital skills needed for everyday life.

What's digital exclusion?

Digital exclusion impacts people who do not or cannot fully use digital technology. It affects people in different ways. Those who:

are unable to afford an appropriate device or internet connection
do not have the skills and confidence to use digital technology
have a fear or mistrust of using online services or lack the motivation to do it
have difficulty in accessing digital services and devices or an internet connection
are unable to keep up with the pace of change of digital technology.

About our report

We looked at how well the public sector in Scotland are tackling digital exclusion and what more they can do.

Our work took a human rights-based approach. This allowed people with experience of digital exclusion and use of digital services to participate in and inform the audit.

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What we found

We found that not enough is being done to make sure people can get online.

We report that clearer leadership and focus is needed to tackle the harms caused by digital exclusion.

This is more important than ever as more key services move online.

Public bodies across Scotland must deliver on their responsibilities to do more to help the one in six Scottish adults who lack the digital skills needed for everyday life.

Using digital to help deliver public services can give people greater flexibility and help save money.

But some people are being left behind because they can’t use or access these services.

What needs to happen now

The Scottish Government and COSLA need to set out clear ambitions and an action plan for how they will tackle digital exclusion. They must be clear what they want to achieve and who is responsible.

All public bodies must do more to support people to use digital tools in a way that benefits them and make sure they can access the services they need. If this doesn’t happen it makes worse the impacts felt by people already facing disadvantages – due to poverty, age or because they have a disability.

The Scottish Government worked well with councils and the third sector to tackle digital exclusion during the pandemic in 2020.

But since then, momentum has slowed, national leadership weakened, with less funding available.

Main report