Digital Development for Low-Hanging Fruits? Exploring the Root Causes of Digital Exclusion in ICT4D

Abstract

Digital development, or information and communication technology for development, promises to employ digital technologies in pursuit of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, at the same time, the use of technologies in development often excludes vulnerable groups and thereby increases social inequalities, which undermines one of the SDGs’ most central principles. In light of this paradox, this paper explores some of the core drivers leading to exclusion in digital development. While much of the existing research on digital inequalities focuses on user-side barriers, this paper shifts attention to structural issues on the supply side. Through expert interviews with digital development professionals, this paper explores the assumptions, perceptions, and priorities that shape how digital development projects are conceived and designed. The findings reveal a number of structural fallacies that drive exclusion in digital development, such as a tech-first mindset, favouring novelty over accessibility, a focus on scale rather than equity, and selective awareness. These dynamics illustrate that digital exclusion is not an incidental outcome but an embedded feature of decision-making processes in digital development.