Connected but still excluded? Digital exclusion beyond internet access

Digital government has enabled the automation of numerous public services and improved the efficiency and openness of the public administration. Nevertheless, for senior citizens, undeserved communities, individuals with low literacy and limited digital skills, the shift to governmental portals, online payments, and smartphone applications remain considerable obstacles to their daily interactions with public authorities. Drawing on a review of interdisciplinary literature, this chapter contributes to the legal literature with an account of the underlying causes of digital exclusion and a discussion of its most relevant legal implications through the lenses of fundamental rights (e.g., due process, equal treatment) and the principles of good administration.