The latest data from the regular Oxford Internet Survey has been released, and, as ever, shows some interesting trends and information about who uses the net across the UK, and how.

67% of the population currently use the internet, up from 59% in 2003. There are still gaps between the age groups, 31% of retired people using the net, compared with 81% of those who work and 97% of students. There are also educational and income differences, just over half of those lacking further education are online, compared with 90% of those with a university education. Only 39% of those with household incomes below UKP12,500 per annum use the net as well.

All good stats, but two bits really stood out for us. Firstly the fact that 85% of net users are using broadband, and dial up connections could all but disappear over the next few years, which it really has to if people want to make full use of the net.

Second, and this is even more interesting, only one in ten people had used the net for political activity. This is perhaps to be expected, given the still relative infancy of e-democracy in comparison with other online services. Of course, the debate over what constitutes political activity online is still to be resolved, if it ever can be, and i suspect that lots of people are actually engaging in what might be termed political activity in civic society terms without directly realising it.

Combined with this, apparently older people were more likely to engage in civic activism online, which is again probably more reflective of the definition of civic activism used by the survey, given that other reports consistently find that young people are very political, just not in ‘big P’ ways.

So, in summary, it can now surely be said that not to use e-democracy has become an exclusionary act, given two thirds of the population are there to be accessed through it. I’d wager the stats on people engaging in politics and policy through the net would creep up if there were more opportunities for them to do so as well.

Perhaps a more stick than carrot approach is beginning to be required to bring civic society and participative governance online?