Rethinking 'Digital Poverty'
When I attended the Tech for Social Justice conference in Australia, one phrase struck me more than any of the content: Digital Poverty. It was everywhere — woven into presentations, used by government, frontline workers, researchers. It rolled off the tongue with the same familiarity that we in Aotearoa reserve for “digital equity” or “digital inclusion.”
But something about it didn’t sit right with our team.
“Digital poverty” is an accurate term. It captures the reality of people being shut out of digital access due to cost, infrastructure, device availability or skills. It makes the gap visible. But it’s also harsh. It centres the deficit — what people don’t have. And in doing so, it risks becoming a label. A stigma. Another reason to see people as lacking, rather than asking why the system continues to fail them.
That’s why, here in Aotearoa, our community has chosen different language. When DECA (the Digital Equity Coalition Aotearoa) was formed back in 2021, we spent time with the wider community reflecting on the words we use and why they matter. We landed on a few guiding ideas to shape our mahi:
Digital equity is the goal — a future where everyone can access and effectively use digital technologies to participate in society, democracy and the economy.
Digital inclusion is the work — the policies, programmes, and partnerships that help us get there.
Digital empowerment is the impact — what happens when individuals, whānau and communities use digital tools to unlock their own potential.
Each of these terms centres people, not problems. They invite action. They place the emphasis on systems and structures, not on individuals’ perceived shortcomings. Most importantly, they aim to be mana-enhancing, recognising the dignity, capability and potential of individuals and communities rather than reducing them to what they lack.
That doesn’t mean we ignore the very real deprivation people are facing. Call it digital poverty, exclusion, or marginalisation, it is real, it is systemic and it is growing. But naming it isn’t enough. How we talk about it shapes how we respond to it. If we call it poverty, the solution sounds like charity. If we call it equity, the solution sounds like justice.
And while we're talking naming, there’s another term I hear often: Digital Excellence. It sits well for many people. For me I find it always make me think of the government funded Gaming Programme here in Aotearoa, the Centre of Digital Excellence (CODE) already operating under that banner. For some, it’s aspirational. For others, it sounds like a club you need permission to join.
So here’s my take: words matter. They frame the issue. They reveal where our focus lies. And they shape what we build next.
Let’s choose words that centre people, promote action and push for systems change. Let’s talk about equity, inclusion and empowerment—not just poverty. Let’s build a future where everyone belongs online (if they want to be there).
