FRA: new report on ‘Fundamental Rights of older persons: ensuring access to public services in digital society’

As the European ageing population increases, the growing digitalization of our society becomes an issue. Only 1 in 4 people between the ages of 65 and 74 possess basic digital skills, representing an obstacle when accessing crucial services in the digital age. The inability to access digital services constitutes a threat to their fundamental rights, including access to healthcare and pensions.

The Fundamental Rights Agency's report entitled ‘Fundamental Rights of older persons: ensuring access to public services in digital society’ highlights that current legislation in EU countries does not adequately address the risk of digital exclusion for older citizens. 

In order to ensure equal access to public services, EU countries should guarantee that older individuals can access digital services, involve them in designing digital public services, provide resources for improving digital literacy, combat ageism that affects technology engagement, and systematically collect data on the digital literacy of individuals over 74. Closing the digital gap is essential to ensure that older people can benefit from technological development and enjoy their fundamental rights.

For more information on the report, click here.