NIC.br promotes debate on technology, public policies and addressing digital inequalities

During the event, which was part of the 13th Workshop on Survey Methodology, publications on the 2022 editions of ICT Households and ICT Kids Online Brazil were launched

The Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br) launched on Tuesday (29) the publications on the 2022 editions of ICT Households and ICT Kids Online Brazil, surveys conducted by the Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br) of the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br). Based on the evidence collected by the two surveys, the panel "Digital Technologies and Tackling Inequality: Challenges for Rights Fulfillment and Well-Being" was held.

Marielza Oliveira (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – UNESCO); Valeria Jordan (United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean - ECLAC); and Marta Arretche (Department of Political Science at the University of São Paulo) participated in the debate, moderated by Fabio Senne, ICT Survey Projects Coordinator at Cetic.br.

In the opening session, Demi Getschko, CEO of NIC.br, spoke about the longevity and importance of the two studies, highlighting the network governance model adopted in Brazil, where the registration of .br domains supports community interest activities – as is the case with Cetic.br surveys. Alexandre Barbosa, manager of Cetic.br, emphasized that since 2005, Cetic.br has regularly produced internationally comparable, representative data on the Internet and digital technologies in the country. "In this way, we offer a solid set of evidence to support public policies, academic research, and also to address inequalities at regional and national levels".

Before the debate, Fabio Storino and Luísa Adib, coordinators of ICT Households and ICT Kids Online Brazil, respectively, presented the main indicators featured in the publications launched on Tuesday.

Panel
The first to speak, Marielza Oliveira from UNESCO, argued that access to information online has currently become a mediator of other human rights, and being excluded from certain digital spaces means, consequently, the segregation from these rights. According to her, to connect everyone, it is necessary to identify who they are. "Your survey is extraordinary because it comes with a range of sociodemographic characteristics and other data that allow for this identification," she praised.

According to ICT Households, there are 36 million individuals in Brazil without Internet access, of which 29 million are in urban areas and seven million in rural areas. Of this total, 19 million are in classes D and E.

Marielza mentioned that UNESCO is moving from the issue of meaningful connectivity to "meaningful access," which goes beyond having the skills to enjoy the digital environment and is related to improving quality of life through Internet use. In this scenario, platforms need to be capable of accommodating users well, and public policies should encourage them to be inclusive.

Valeria Jordan from ECLAC highlighted that the regional agenda Plan of Action on the Information Society of Latin America and the Caribbean (eLAC) includes among its objectives advancing in meaningful connectivity. She also shares the idea that exercising fundamental rights depends on online access opportunities, and that structural disparities are translated into digital inequalities, affecting mainly the most vulnerable and excluded population.

Valeria further added that Cetic.br surveys have delved into the issue of digital skills as a determining factor for the adoption of technology, an increasingly important aspect for connectivity. "So far, we have made progress in promoting Internet access, but we also need to discuss more innovative public policies, leveraging the data availability that exists in Brazil. Thus, modular policies could be developed to start addressing the more concerning effects, which are children lacking digital opportunities and who will face many limitations in the future".

Marta Arretche, professor at USP, found the data from ICT Kids Online Brazil on inequality in Internet use among children and teenagers particularly alarming. She stated that this reality is creating a distinction between digitally semi-literate and highly digitally prepared individuals, which will have long-term consequences. According to the professor, it is necessary to establish an agenda capable of narrowing gaps that could become permanent and recurring.

According to the survey, the rate of children and teenagers who stop engaging in online activities due to fear of running out of credits is higher among classes D and E.

In her view, a similar situation occurs when discussing the connectivity of Brazilians in general. "Our problem is not really exclusion, but inequality in usage, and this seems essential to me when considering public policies," she stated, adding: "People are connected, but there is a gradient of full utilization and very limited use".

She considered that the inequality of access is an additional layer of inequality that overlaps with individuals who already face offline obstacles. "The survey allows us to see that inequality affects different uses and, therefore, constitutes distinct obstacles for different life dimensions".

The panel "Digital Technologies and Tackling Inequality: Challenges for Rights Fulfillment and Well-Being" is part of the 13th Workshop on Survey Methodology, held annually by NIC.br in partnership with the National School of Statistical Sciences of IBGE (ENCE). The international meeting brings together data producers and public managers with the aim of promoting evidence-based public policies (More information at: https://workshop.metodologia.cetic.br/).

The books launched during the event feature articles by specialists on topics related to ICT surveys, as well as a methodological report and analysis of the results. To check the ICT Households 2022 publication, visit https://cetic.br/pt/pesquisa/domicilios/publicacoes/. The ICT Kids Online 2022 is available for download at https://cetic.br/pt/pesquisa/kids-online/publicacoes/.

Watch the debate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SonHGAb_zsY

About Cetic.br
The Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br), part of NIC.br, is responsible for producing indicators and statistics on Internet access and use in Brazil, disseminating periodic analyses and information on the network's development in the country. Cetic.br|NIC.br is also a Regional Center for Studies under the auspices of UNESCO, celebrating 18 years of operation in 2023. More information at https://cetic.br/.

About the Brazilian Network Information Center – NIC.br
The Brazilian Network Information Center — NIC.br (https://nic.br/) is a private, non-profit entity in charge of the operation of the .br domain, as well as IP numbers distribution and Autonomous System registration in the country. NIC.br implements the decisions and projects of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee - CGI.br since 2005, and all resources collected come from its activities, which are inherently private. It conducts actions and projects that benefit Internet infrastructure in Brazil. NIC.br includes: Registro.br (https://registro.br), CERT.br (https://cert.br/), Ceptro.br (https://ceptro.br/), Cetic.br (https://cetic.br/), IX.br (https://ix.br/) and Ceweb.br (https://ceweb.br/), in addition to projects like Internetsegura.br (https://internetsegura.br/) and the Portal of Best Practices for the Internet in Brazil (https://bcp.nic.br/). It also hosts the office of the W3C Chapter São Paulo (https://w3c.br/).

About the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee – CGI.br
The Brazilian Internet Steering Committee, responsible for establishing strategic guidelines related to the use and development of the Internet in Brazil, coordinates and integrates all Internet service initiatives in the country, promoting technical quality, innovation, and the dissemination of offered services. Based on the principles of multisectoralism and transparency, CGI.br represents a democratic Internet governance model internationally praised, where all sectors of society participate equitably in its decisions. One of its formulations is the 10 Principles for Internet Governance and Use (https://cgi.br/resolucoes/documento/2009/003). More information at https://cgi.br/.

Press Contacts – NIC.br:

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Communication Advisory – NIC.br
Carolina Carvalho - Communication Manager - carolcarvalho@nic.br
Thiago Santiago - Communication Coordinator - santiago@nic.br 

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