Not everyone is computer literate and there is a real risk that some people are being left behind, the Dutch ombudsman says in his annual report.

Some of the people who need government help the most are running into trouble negotiating the digital highway, the ombudsman said, and called on government departments not to close down their telephone helplines.

In addition, some websites contain unclear information, are not user-friendly and there are too many breakdowns, the ombudsman is quoted as saying by broadcaster Nos.

‘A mistake made by someone via internet is not fraud,’ the ombudsman stated, adding that people should not be held accountable if they make errors filling in online forms.