Digital Denied: The Impact of Systemic Racial Discrimination on Home-Internet Adoption

Digital Denied takes a deep and detailed look at the role race plays in determining whether a person has affordable home access to high-speed internet services. The Free Press research finds that communities of color are on the wrong side of the digital divide in ways that income differences alone do not explain.

Systemic racial discrimination has a measurable impact on home-internet adoption because it affects income inequality and also exacerbates other disparities that are barriers to adoption in communities of color. Free Press also finds that, contrary to one conventional narrative, people of color who do not subscribe to internet service actually have a very high demand for it. This means they would benefit greatly from lower prices and more choices for service.