Ethics and the Digital Divide

by Emma Rooksby

Published 31 December 2050

The digital divide is a term used to denote inequalities in access to information and communication technologies (ICTs). Despite the existence of numerous publications concerning the digital divide, and the obvious importance of the subject area, there has, to date, been almost no research published on philosophical and normative aspects of the subject. This book fills that gap.

Emma Rooksby poses the intriguing question: 'Are digital divides unjust?' The key aims of the book are:

  • to provide a broad overview of the phenomena collectively known as digital divides, at both national and international levels, and to develop a clear and well-reasoned account of the morally significant aspects of digital divides
  • to develop a philosophical framework, based on John Rawls theory of justice, in which to evaluate digital divides
  • to illustrate the relationship between inequalities in access to ICTs and broader issues of social justice, at both national and global levels.

This book will be if interest to a broad range of philosophers, as well as to the general reader who has some interest in information technology and/or digital divides.