Banks in Latvia are digitizing faster than part of society can adapt to this. As a result, some residents may face the risk of losing access to banking services. Ombudsman Karina Palkova stated this on the air of TV24.
According to her, services must remain accessible to all residents, as this is related to the observance of human rights.
"We cannot discriminate against people who do not possess sufficient digital skills. I call this digital discrimination or digital exclusion," said Palkova.
The Ombudsman emphasized that the country is not yet ready to completely abandon in-person services, as a significant portion of people do not feel confident using digital services.
"We must not forget about the people who need in-person services," she noted. According to Palkova, many residents today feel lonely and insecure when working with digital services. Therefore, it is important for them to have the opportunity to come to an institution in person, ask questions, and receive explanations.
The Ombudsman believes that the development of digital services should not lead to the exclusion of those people who, for various reasons, cannot or do not know how to use internet services.
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