Social inequality in the digital economy

The article describes the formation of digital economy from the point of view of emergence of socio-political risks, in particular the risk of social inequality as a result of growth of digital inequality. The study was conducted as a part of political science analysis. The aim of the work is to identify factors affecting social inequality, develop the steps to prevent its further spread. To achieve this goal, the following tasks are set: to consider the essence of inequality and approaches which determine its causes; to explore a new type of inequality - digital; identify socio-political risks of digitalization which affect inequality; suggest ways to manage these risks. The article presents the evolution of ideas about inequality from the XVIII century to the present day, from Rousseau's "natural inequality" to the modern "digital inequality". The reasons and consequences of the social inequality spread in the digital age are considered in detail. With the advent of the digital age, social strata did not disappear from the realities of our world, but on the contrary were transferred to the virtual world. The emergence of digital inequality has actualized the risk of social inequality spread, the consequences of which are changes in the structure of society and employment; uneven economic development; income distribution imbalances, uneven access to social benefits and rights. The steps aimed at changing the mentality of citizens and social institutions are proposed to manage the risk of social inequality in modern conditions. Economic and political backwardness, social inequality can be overcome by the effect of the same breakthrough digital technologies, which are no longer passive agents of public relations, but determine the development of the economy, politics, and society generally.

digital economy, digitalization, socio-political risks, social inequality, digital inequality, risk management