According to the Austrian Internet Monitor (Q1/2017), 14 per cent of Austrians over the age of 14 are considered to be offline users. There is also an unquantified group of people who only use the internet to a very limited degree. Offliner tend to be older women with a low level of formal education and limited financial resources.

As the digitalisation of all aspects of life continues, the opportunities for social, societal and political participation of offliners are becoming increasingly limited. In particular, consumers without internet access face concrete financial disadvantages in several areas of life. The main reasons for these financial disadvantages are that offline users do not have access to low-cost online services and offers (examples: discount banks, cheaper train tickets, sharing economy services, marketplaces, etc.) and do not have access to comprehensive price comparisons and product information online. In addition, many life situations can be handled more quickly and conveniently with online support (from using different reference works to planning optimal transport routes in real time).

While active participation in digital transformation should not be forced, it is important to ensure that offline users can make a truly informed decision about whether or not to go digital. In particular, they need targeted support as they make their way into the online world. This requires a range of support services such as the development of affordable advice and training services, the provision of appropriate explanatory content for newcomers, or the promotion of entrepreneurial initiatives targeted specifically at non-technical people. Conversely, a legal minimum level of services for offline users (forms, paper bills, printed public sector information on key areas of older people's lives such as health and care) should also be discussed.