The Digital Divide
As the Internet continues to make inroads across the world, it is also creating a separation between those who have access to
this global network and those who do not. This separation is called the “digital divide” and is of great concern. An article in
Crossroads puts it this way :
Adopted by the ACM Council in 1992, the ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct focuses on issues
involving the Digital Divide that could prevent certain categories of people
— those from lowincome
households, senior citizens, singleparent
children, the undereducated, minorities, and residents
of rural areas — from receiving adequate access to the wide variety of resources offered by computer technology. This
Code of Ethics positions the use of computers as a fundamental ethical consideration: “In a fair society, all individuals would
have equal opportunity to participate in, or benefit from, the use of computer resources regardless of race, sex, religion,
age, disability, national origin, or other similar factors.” This article summarizes the digital divide in its various forms, and
analyzes reasons for the growing inequality in people’s access to Internet services. It also describes how society can bridge
the digital divide: the serious social gap between information “haves” and “havenots.