Nearly 2 million households affected by digital deprivation but 1 in 2 don’t know what it is

• New research shows nearly half of Brits are unfamiliar with the issue of digital exclusion 
• 1.7 million households are affected but most people who are aware of the issue incorrectly think it only applies to those who can’t afford to get connected 
• Photographer Rankin unveils new series royalty-free images to highlight this “invisible” social issue as cost-of-living crisis puts a million more families at risk of falling on the wrong side of the digital divide 
• Vodafone announces new partnership with charity The Trussell Trust and Citizen’s Advice’s to make free data available via ‘Help through Hardship’ helpline. 

Over 1.7 million households in the UK are on the wrong side of the digital divide. This means they not only lack access to the online world but also basic digital skills. It’s a pressing but largely invisible social issue that can lead to poorer health outcomes and lower life expectancy. It can also severely limit access to jobs and education as well as increase loneliness and social isolation. 

But according to new research out today, nearly half (47%) of UK adults admit they don’t understand what digital exclusion is. Of those who are familiar with it, 60% think, incorrectly, that it only affects those who can’t afford a connection. In reality the issue is much wider, negatively impacting the lives of older people, refugees, victims of domestic violence and the homeless as well as people in financial distress. 

But telling the stories of those who have found themselves excluded from the digital world has been problematic, largely due to the “invisible” nature of the issue. Too often the human element is overlooked by online media outlets and search engines using of graphs, charts and graphics in their content rather than pictures of people.  

So, to help journalists, individuals, tech companies and organisations bring these hidden stories to life, Vodafone have called on one of the world’s top photographers to produce a collection of free-to-use images that do exactly that. 

World-famous photographer Rankin has teamed up with Vodafone to produce a series of images called Faces of Disconnection, capturing the human impact of not being able to access the internet and the essential services it provides. 

The photographs are all based on real people’s stories and include: 

• A Ukrainian refugee who has a smartphone but no connectivity so feels lonely and disconnected 
• A girl with autism who feels overwhelmed by the online world and needs more support 
• A family forced to choose between utilities as the cost of living rises 
• A woman who lost connectivity in an instant after an abusive partner broke her phone 
• A teenager without the skills to feel safe online 
• An older man faced with daunting information on how to get online 
• A man who has found himself homeless and in a shelter 

The images are freely available to the public, media outlets and organisations from today to use via free stock image site Pexels – with the aim of providing a more accurate portrayal of the issue. They will also be showcased at a free digital gallery exhibition at 45 Kings Mall, London, W6 9HW on 4 December from 10am to 4pm. 

As part of Vodafone’s everyone.connected campaign, a new pilot scheme launching today will get free connectivity into the hands of the people who need it most at the time when they are most vulnerable.  

Working with the Trussell Trust and Citizen’s Advice, Vodafone will offer SIMs to those calling the Help through Hardship helpline, which is delivered in partnership by the two charities and provides advice and support to people who are worried about money and struggling to afford the essentials 

Social Change charity Good Things Foundation, which campaigns for digital equality, is supporting Vodafone’s Faces of Disconnection initiative and their Chief Executive Helen Milner is available down the line to tell us why.  

Ends

Editors notes

Vodafone’s research has also highlighted the limited ways in which digital exclusion is  represented via media outlets, search engines, image libraries and online platform: Four in five (80%) use only graphs, data, or cartoons to illustrate the issue, and one in three (33%) use images of a standalone computer, laptop, or phone rather than showcasing the real people that face digital exclusion each day. Where faces are included, the images are overwhelmingly similar, with the majority showing white males aged between 16-30 years old (60%). Seven in 10 (70%) show people who appear angry or frustrated compared to someone looking vulnerable (20%), upset (10%), or helpless (20%) . None of them imply disability.

Vodafone has donated one million free SIM cards to those in need through its everyone.connected campaign, and is committed to donating a further three million SIMs, taking the total to four million by 2025.

In addition to providing free skills and connectivity, Vodafone has a range of products to help keep people connected including its recently launched, Vodafone Essentials Broadband tariff – available to those on UTC and other benefits for just £12 per month, as well as its mobile social tariff, VOXI for Now which gives six months unlimited 5G data, calls and texts for just £10 a month, cancel anytime.

To find out how to access help, or to support Vodafone’s everyone.connected campaign, head over to vodafone.co.uk/mobile/everyone-connected.

*Research credit

**Please note some of the images use actors to protect people’s identities.

About Vodafone

Vodafone UK is a technology communications company that connects people, businesses and devices to help our customers benefit from digital innovation. Our services span mobile, fixed-line connections, home and office broadband, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

The company has a strong track record as a tech pioneer, making the UK’s first mobile phone call, sending the first text message, and making the UK’s first live holographic call using 5G in 2018. Vodafone was also the first to start carrying live 5G traffic from a site in Salford, Greater Manchester. As of June 2021, Vodafone 5G is in 364 locations across Europe - 124 in the UK and 240 across Germany, Spain, Italy and Ireland. Its 4G network coverage currently reaches over 99% of the UK population.

Today, Vodafone serves more than 18 million mobile and fixed-line customers in the UK. To help deliver Gigabit UK, our full-fibre broadband roll-out programme now covers 15 UK towns and cities through partnerships with CityFibre and Openreach.

Sustainability is also at the heart of what we do: as of 1 July 2021, 100% of the grid electricity we use in the UK is certified to be from renewable sources.

For more information about Vodafone UK please visit: www.vodafone.co.uk.