In Britain, the Digital Divide Is 222 Miles
Brexit EU Settlement App Shows Digital Access Is an Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights Issue
First, in the spirit of transparency, this is a post about two things I’m passionate (and definitely biased) about: my company, sparrow, and fostering a more sustainable, inclusive and joyful world.
With Brexit looming for over 3.5 million EU citizens who live in the UK and wish to stay in their homes, the British government’s settlement process has shined the light on digital access as an equal opportunity and civil rights issue, and how easily technology can be a tool for discrimination, whether intentional or not.
In this case, the British government rolled out a “settlement app” (let’s call it “Brexit App,” in keeping with its flawed design). The Brexit App is initially available only for Android and then only compatible with a limited number of smartphone models.
As of this post, Brexit App isn’t available online so iPhone users and others with incompatible smartphones, or those who don’t have smartphones or computers because they’re elderly, disabled, can’t afford one, or for other reasons, are directed to visit one of just 13 locations, as posted by Sam Wolfson, a UK journalist whose tweet on the subject when viral:
Sam Wolfson’s post, and this quote in particular, throws the issue of access — be it physical or digital — into stark light:
“The only one [settlement centre] in Scotland is in Edinburgh, while anyone in Cornwall will need to make a trip to Bath. Even then, they will still need to go online to complete their application.”
Brexit App’s limitations would seem to be a calamity of IT errors and a rushed process. The app is still in beta, Apple didn’t approve the Brexit App iPhone version (they’re reportedly working on it) and according to this article published in Civil Service World, more centres will be announced. Even so, millions of people’s livelihoods and homes are on the line and the Brexit settlement process, underpinned by buggy technology, adds additional confusion, frustration and stress to an already extremely stressful situation.
Can you imagine living somewhere for years, a steady job, kids in school, paying taxes, a member of the community, and not knowing if you could keep your job, home, school, doctors, healthcare or country?
For those impacted by Brexit, you can access the UK.gov Settle Resource here.
It also demonstrates how more and more government services are being delivered digitally, how technology can be exploited to discriminate for economic or other reasons, and the importance of digital access as an equal opportunity issue and civil right.
Typically, those without digital access are the poorest and most vulnerable in society and arguably the people who can benefit by digital access the most.
Having to travel to a physical destination to conduct business that could otherwise be done online represents a barrier and added burden for those who can least afford it, especially when you consider time, transportation costs, child care, time off work, and added stress. Especially when there’s so much on the line, as is the case with Brexit.
And with the growing income divide, technology accelerates the gap by leaving those who are disadvantaged even further behind.
On the flip side, technology that’s thoughtfully applied can improve and increase service-delivery, reduce costs and help accelerate someone’s access to opportunity, as sparrow’s RefugeeMobile program (working with resettled refugees in the U.S.) demonstrates.
The study found families who received RefugeeMobile smartphones made more progress than those who did not, with promising results — they are 28% more likely to have internet at home; 45% more likely to interact with someone from a different culture; 38% more likely to visit their child’s teacher to discuss performance at school; and 9% of the families reported that they could converse in English “very well” as opposed to no one in the control group.
RefugeeMobile Report by Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunity, University of Notre Dame
Out of curiosity, I googled directions from Cornwall (a county) to Bath and discovered that from a closer point, like Launceston, it’s at least 120 miles and a 2.5 hour drive, and from the furthest point, Lands End, it’s 222 miles and nearly a four-hour drive!
Net-net, when it comes to accessing government and other services, as the Brexit App shows, it’s time to consider digital access as a mandatory and protected right.
Amy Tucker is a cofounder and Chief Impact Officer of sparrow, a U.S. wireless company with a mission to end digital poverty and create a more inclusive world. For each month of service, sparrow wireless customers help someone in need gain digital access. Learn more at sparrowmobile.com.
