Digital literacy in Brisbane: The promise, the pitfalls and the privacy questions

The Queensland state government launched the Digital Economy Strategy in 2021, pledging $45 million to improve digital inclusion across the state. Three years on, Brisbane public libraries report steady demand for basic computer skills classes, particularly among seniors and jobseekers. But as the city deepens its reliance on digital platforms-from transport apps to health records-the risks of leaving some residents behind have become as pressing as the promise of connectivity.

Brisbane City Council’s Smart City program, which has deployed hundreds of free Wi-Fi hotspots in parks, libraries and ferry terminals, stands as an example of the upside. Residents in suburbs such as Inala, Acacia Ridge and Chermside can now access online Centrelink services, job search portals and telehealth appointments without a home internet plan. Yet the same infrastructure raises questions: Who owns the data traveling over those public networks? And what happens when a person’s ability to get a job, see a doctor or apply for housing hinges on a free Wi-Fi signal that may be slow, monitored, or switched off at night?

The digital skills gap is narrowing-but not evenly

State government figures from 2023 showed that 92 percent of Queensland households had internet access, but the distribution was uneven. In Brisbane’s outer-suburban growth corridors-places like Springfield and Flagstone-household connectivity lagged behind the inner-city average by as much as eight percentage points. The gap is most acute among households earning under $60,000 a year, many of whom rely solely on smartphones for internet access. That means filling out an online job application, which can take 30 minutes on a desktop, becomes a chore on a small screen with a data cap.

At the State Library of Queensland, which runs the Cornerstone digital literacy program, librarians report that the most sought-after workshops are not coding or blockchain-they are “How to use MyGov” and “Safe online banking.” The program, funded by the state government, has trained more than 15,000 Queenslanders since 2020. But demand continues to outstrip supply. In June 2026, waitlists for beginner classes at Brisbane Square Library stretched two months.

Ethical questions that don't have a download button

The ethical dilemmas go beyond access. Brisbane’s rollout of smart-bin sensors, traffic cameras and air-quality monitors has generated public debate over surveillance. In February 2026, the Queensland Privacy Commissioner published a report noting that “citizens are often unaware of the extent to which their movements are tracked by smart-city infrastructure.” The commissioner recommended that councils publish transparency notices for every new sensor deployment. Brisbane City Council has not yet committed to that recommendation.

Consider a scenario that is neither sci-fi nor distant: a jobseeker in Moorooka uses a council library computer to apply for a warehouse role. The employer uses AI-powered screening software that flags the candidate’s IP address as coming from a library-and downgrades the application on the assumption that the applicant lacks home internet. This is not a documented event in Brisbane, but similar cases have been cited by researchers at the University of Queensland’s Digital Inclusion Lab as a risk that regulators have not sufficiently addressed.

What would it take to make digital literacy truly ethical, rather than just efficient? Brisbane, like most cities, is still writing the answer. For now, the librarians, community workers and privacy advocates are the ones asking the hardest questions-while the city’s free Wi-Fi keeps blinking green.