--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At a certain point, a critical mass of…" description: "\"At a certain point, a critical mass of people either have used the Internet or have expectations. Anything less than the free flow of information will ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab0/jared-cohen-17128_backlash_at-a-certain-point-a-critical-mass-of-pe_1563702.jpg" --- # At a certain point, a critical mass of people either have… ![“At a certain point, a critical mass of people either have used the Internet or have expectations. Anything less than the free flow of information will be seen as having something taken away. We've seen time and again - in Egypt and Iran, for example - that creates a backlash.” quote by Jared Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab0/jared-cohen-17128_backlash_at-a-certain-point-a-critical-mass-of-pe_1563702.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab0/jared-cohen-17128_backlash_at-a-certain-point-a-critical-mass-of-pe_1563702.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab0/jared-cohen-17128_backlash_at-a-certain-point-a-critical-mass-of-pe_1563702.jpg) > “At a certain point, a critical mass of people either have used the Internet or have expectations. Anything less than the free flow of information will be seen as having something taken away. We've seen time and again - in Egypt and Iran, for example - that creates a backlash.” [Jared Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-cohen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When many people expect free information, restricting it triggers backlash; openness is essential for stability. **In simple terms:** People expect open internet; limiting it causes unrest. Key Takeaway Support open access to information. Themes freedom information politics Mood analytical concerned Type political philosophical When to use this quote - government control - cultural resistance Key Concepts internet censorship public expectation social stability Questions to Reflect On - How does censorship affect societal trust? - What balance can be struck between security and openness? A Different Perspective Open access may conflict with security concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Iran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iran/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [This is why the anti-discrimination principle being enforced is important. Because it won't stop if some of the underlying biases aren't challenged and surfaced.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/this-is-why-the-anti-discrimination-principle-being-enforced-is/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Wit isn't a useful instrument of defense; it may make a short-run appeal, but it creates a backlash- one saw this in the Hiss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-trilling/wit-isn-t-a-useful-instrument-of-defense-it-may-make-a-short-run/) [Diana Trilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-trilling/) > [I used to be on the Internet a lot, so all my friends on the Internet were from California.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ybn-nahmir/i-used-to-be-on-the-internet-a-lot-so-all-my-friends-on-the-internet/) [YBN Nahmir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ybn-nahmir/) > [I've used the Internet since I was in high school - it was my tool for self-promotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffree-star/i-ve-used-the-internet-since-i-was-in-high-school-it-was-my-tool-for/) [Jeffree Star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffree-star/) > [I used the Internet as a vehicle to get places not many people did before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffree-star/i-used-the-internet-as-a-vehicle-to-get-places-not-many-people-did/) [Jeffree Star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffree-star/) > [Without sounding like I'm crying about it, I would like to eliminate the Internet from the music industry... just to see what would happen.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uncle-kracker/without-sounding-like-i-m-crying-about-it-i-would-like-to-eliminate/) [Uncle Kracker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uncle-kracker/) > [Internet becoming accessible everywhere, whether it was Wi-Fi at work, on your cell phone as you traveled. People had it at home with broadband.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-dyson/internet-becoming-accessible-everywhere-whether-it-was-wi-fi-at-work/) [Esther Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-dyson/) > [It's people wanting to do something about global climate change. People fed up with the high price of gas. People tired of breathing dirty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-begley-jr/it-s-people-wanting-to-do-something-about-global-climate-change/) [Ed Begley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-begley-jr/) > [It can be said that there are four basic and primary things that the mass of people in a society wish for: to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/it-can-be-said-that-there-are-four-basic-and-primary-things-that-the/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [Educate and inform the whole mass of the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/educate-and-inform-the-whole-mass-of-the-people/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Whenever someone wants to say something to a whole mass of people by breaking into song, there's probably something wrong with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lopez/whenever-someone-wants-to-say-something-to-a-whole-mass-of-people-by/) [Robert Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lopez/) > [When a critical mass of people have the Bible and apply what it teaches in their lives, a nation is transformed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-cunningham/when-a-critical-mass-of-people-have-the-bible-and-apply-what-it/) [Loren Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-cunningham/) > [If the Karmabanque hasn't worked, it's because there isn't yet a critical mass of people who are prepared to fight back and who instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-keiser/if-the-karmabanque-hasn-t-worked-it-s-because-there-isn-t-yet-a/) [Max Keiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-keiser/) > [And yet my life seemed to be just one big mass of people. I would never ask some people in for tea to fill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myfanwy-pavelic/and-yet-my-life-seemed-to-be-just-one-big-mass-of-people-i-would/) [Myfanwy Pavelic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myfanwy-pavelic/) > [At the beginning of anything out of the ordinary, the mass of the people always dislike it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mao-zedong/at-the-beginning-of-anything-out-of-the-ordinary-the-mass-of-the/) [Mao Zedong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mao-zedong/) ## More by Jared Cohen > [I always say that the largest party in every country - the largest opposition group in every country - is the youth party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-cohen/i-always-say-that-the-largest-party-in-every-country-the-largest/) [Jared Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-cohen/) > [I dislike the phrase 'social media.' 'Social media' is merely a way to describe new tools in an old and narrow paradigm where we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-cohen/i-dislike-the-phrase-social-media-social-media-is-merely-a-way-to/) [Jared Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-cohen/) > [Privacy and security are the ultimate shared responsibility, and everyone - including governments, companies, and citizens - have an important role to play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-cohen/privacy-and-security-are-the-ultimate-shared-responsibility-and/) [Jared Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-cohen/) > [I think companies need to put up tools that put privacy and security in the hands of their users and make it easy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-cohen/i-think-companies-need-to-put-up-tools-that-put-privacy-and-security/) [Jared Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-cohen/) > [We live in a world where all wars will begin as cyber wars... It's the combination of hacking and massive, well-coordinated disinformation campaigns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-cohen/we-live-in-a-world-where-all-wars-will-begin-as-cyber-wars-it-s-the/) [Jared Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-cohen/) > [The virtual world is a 'public square' much more vast than Tiananmen Square. And you can't send in the tanks to crush the netizens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-cohen/the-virtual-world-is-a-public-square-much-more-vast-than-tiananmen/) [Jared Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-cohen/) > [Name any issue in the world, I can tell you how technology is intertwined with it. I can tell you how technology will make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-cohen/name-any-issue-in-the-world-i-can-tell-you-how-technology-is/) [Jared Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-cohen/) > [Technology is a tool, and it's a platform. Nobody gets arrested for being a blogger; people get arrested for dissent. Nobody gets arrested for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-cohen/technology-is-a-tool-and-it-s-a-platform-nobody-gets-arrested-for/) [Jared Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-cohen/) > [The importance of human judgment does not evaporate in the future, and as connected individuals, we will have to exercise sound judgment about what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-cohen/the-importance-of-human-judgment-does-not-evaporate-in-the-future-and/) [Jared Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-cohen/) > [If you're not creating waves, then you're not pushing enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-cohen/if-you-re-not-creating-waves-then-you-re-not-pushing-enough/) [Jared Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-cohen/) > [I want to use the best technology we have at our disposal to begin to take on trolling and other nefarious tactics that give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-cohen/i-want-to-use-the-best-technology-we-have-at-our-disposal-to-begin-to/) [Jared Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-cohen/) > [Kids are coming online and connecting at a pace that's faster than their physical maturation process. Would you ever imagine that you'd have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-cohen/kids-are-coming-online-and-connecting-at-a-pace-that-s-faster-than/) [Jared Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-cohen/) > [“the 21st Century is really a terrible time to be a control freak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-cohen/the-21st-century-is-really-a-terrible-time-to-be-a-control-freak/) [Jared Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-cohen/) > [Essentially, it's not that technology or cyberspace is some parallel universe that operates tangentially from the world we know; it is simply a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-cohen/essentially-it-s-not-that-technology-or-cyberspace-is-some-parallel/) [Jared Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-cohen/) > [Cyber weapons won't go away, and their spread can't be controlled. Instead, as we've done for other destructive technologies, the world needs to establish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-cohen/cyber-weapons-won-t-go-away-and-their-spread-can-t-be-controlled/) [Jared Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-cohen/) [Explore all 38 Jared Cohen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-cohen/) ## More Backlash quotes > [I tend to get reactions just by being on screen, because I guess I'm physically queer-coded or something. Especially with 'Star Wars;' I get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-o-brian/i-tend-to-get-reactions-just-by-being-on-screen-because-i-guess-i-m/) [Katy O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-o-brian/) > [I'm the one who will take chances, not worry about the backlash.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magic-johnson/i-m-the-one-who-will-take-chances-not-worry-about-the-backlash/) [Magic Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magic-johnson/) > [Yes, I do realize that men in sports media also face criticism and backlash, but the vitriol that is directed at women, especially women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/yes-i-do-realize-that-men-in-sports-media-also-face-criticism-and/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) > [You can be the outcast or be the backlash of somebody's lack of love. Or you can start speaking up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-bareilles/you-can-be-the-outcast-or-be-the-backlash-of-somebody-s-lack-of-love/) [Sara Bareilles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-bareilles/) > [If an adversary didn't target our power plants but they did target the core routers, the backbones that tie our internet connections together, entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-an-adversary-didn-t-target-our-power-plants-but-they-did-target/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Just days after Mitt Romney suggested he might run for president, there's been a backlash. The backlash is led by Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/just-days-after-mitt-romney-suggested-he-might-run-for-president/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [Israel must never be expected to jeopardize her security: if she was ever foolish enough to do so, and then suffered for it, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/israel-must-never-be-expected-to-jeopardize-her-security-if-she-was/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [In specific terms I don't think I could make any suggestions, but in general terms I believe that it is because Canadians have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/in-specific-terms-i-don-t-think-i-could-make-any-suggestions-but-in/) [Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/) > [God save the Queen and a fascist regime … a flabby toothless fascism, to be sure. Never go too far in any direction, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/god-save-the-queen-and-a-fascist-regime-a-flabby-toothless-fascism-to/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [Part of the challenge of the Barack Obama campaign was to try to neutralize that white backlash, and of course, he was masterful in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/part-of-the-challenge-of-the-barack-obama-campaign-was-to-try-to/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [There's a backlash against womyn that's really bad right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-acker/there-s-a-backlash-against-womyn-that-s-really-bad-right-now/) [Kathy Acker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-acker/) > [Of course there's a backlash. Of course. Look, half the country voted for Donald Trump. But I think one of the things that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-che/of-course-there-s-a-backlash-of-course-look-half-the-country-voted/) [Michael Che](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-che/) > [I get so much backlash in Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-nash/i-get-so-much-backlash-in-hollywood/) [Jason Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-nash/) > [Every time a militant Islamist terrorist shoots somebody up, what does Barack Obama do and the Democrats? They come out and they demand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/every-time-a-militant-islamist-terrorist-shoots-somebody-up-what-does/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [“We seem to be in a continuing feedback loop of repeating a past that our country has yet to address. Our history is one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/we-seem-to-be-in-a-continuing-feedback-loop-of-repeating-a-past-that/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) Browse all 161 Backlash quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "At a certain point, a critical mass of people either have used the Internet or have expectations. Anything less than the free flow of information will be seen as having something taken away. 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