/ Digital inclusion and democratization of IT: a pending challenge for ecommerce

As a backlash to the technological transformation, we forget about those who do not have the skills or knowledge to manage in the digital world. Even if they are not necessary for the execution of the contract, now with ecommerce, personal data is key. How can companies reduce the digital divide?

Jaime Urzúa
Associate Attorney
Alessandri Abogados

Many processes that we used to perform without technological support have jumped on the digital transformation bandwagon. From the automated reception at a doctor’s office to the payment of parking lots through applications and specially developed platforms, today we can see a trend that is already irreversible. This is confirmed by the Digital Transformation Index of the Santiago Chamber of Commerce, which shows an increase of almost ten percent in the level of maturity in the incorporation of digital transformation practices in companies between 2019 and 2021.

As a downside to digital transformation is the digital divide or disparity in the access and use of information technologies. According to the same study, in 2021 the digital divide in Chile was 48%. The expression digital exclusion was born to refer to the problem that comes with technological growth, where certain groups of people are being relegated from access to services as they are digitally transformed. Level of schooling, geographic location and age are some of the reasons that explain this problem, which leaves marginalized people on the way.

Traditionally, unless there was a formal contract, people did not need to identify themselves in order to participate in daily commercial activity. For example, in order to ship a product, no personal information was required. With the rise of e-commerce, personal data are key, even if they are not necessary for the execution of the act or contract.

The reason is clear: it is urgent to know each customer in detail in order to predict their behavior. However, we forget about those who do not have the skills or knowledge to manage in the digital world. For example, older adults who do not have email, minors who are victims of phishing or people who simply do not have internet access (in Chile there are still 33% of households without fixed internet access). The challenge for companies is enormous: how to take care of these potential customers so as not to increase the digital divide.

A good idea to avoid excluding these laggards could be, for example, to enable visitor sessions on their web pages or allow them to make purchases without having to create a user. Training and generation of digital skills and competences is also vital to bring closer to a relevant group, still large in number, that clamors to participate in our digital society. From the public sidewalk, progress must be made in favoring access to technology, through infrastructure development, increasing the speed of navigation or promoting free internet access in strategic places such as parks, museums and public buildings.