Data Quote by Stewart Brand
“Information wants to be free.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Whole Earth Catalog, 1968
The principle that data should be accessible and unrestricted for the benefit of society.
In simple terms: Data should be open.
Key Takeaway
Promote open access to information.
Themes
freedom
information
society
Mood
optimistic
critical
Type
philosophical
activist
When to use this quote
- research
- education
- journalism
- activism
Key Concepts
digital rights
knowledge sharing
transparency
Questions to Reflect On
- How does openness affect privacy?
- When should information be restricted?
A Different Perspective
Open access may conflict with privacy or security concerns.
![“He [Edward Snowden] has been careful with his info, doling it out to responsible news organizations — The Post, the New York Times, the Guardian, etc. — and not tossing it up in the air, WikiLeaks style, and echoing the silly mantra “Information wants to be free.” (No. Information, like most of…” quote by Richard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ffc/richard-cohen-5202_politics_he-edward-snowden-has-been-careful-with_1660144.jpg)
![“[Brazil] went to the UN and said, "We need new standards for this." We need to take a look at what they're calling "data sovereignty."” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/af7/edward-snowden-555_brazil_brazil-went-to-the-un-and-said-we-need-n_14906.jpg)
