Asbl status, new members, appeal to politicians: DigitAll reaches another milestone in its history

Filing a tax return, buying a ticket to an event, making a medical appointment, contacting a government department or an after-sales service department: our society is becoming increasingly electronic, but those who struggle with technology are increasingly lost in the digital jungle.

Contrary to popular belief, older people are not the only ones affected. As the King Baudouin Foundation mentions in its most recent report on digital inclusion, 40% of Belgians are currently "digitally vulnerable". They are exposed to the risk of digital exclusion because they do not have the means to go online and lack digital skills, which can give rise to stress or simply a fear of the unknown.

Digital technologies are intended to make life easier for everyone. Despite their good intentions, however, they can quickly turn into an ordeal for some people. DigitAll has been tackling this phenomenon since 2020.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which accelerated the digital revolution in many sectors, BNP Paribas Fortis was concerned about the divide between those on board the digital train and those left behind. DigitAll was created to address this issue.

During the pandemic, in September 2021, Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister Petra De Sutter, around 30 private-sector companies - including Accenture - and social organisations joined the project and signed a charter containing nine commitments aimed at bridging the digital divide.