In this modern era, restricting information for the sake of public security and national importance seems irrational to many while others opine that information should be available only when the authority deems them suitable for access. Both views would be examined in this essay. I personally believe that scientific studies, the academic arena, and businesses can be greatly benefitted if the information is made open to them without restrictions.
The proponents of restricting sensitive information believe that unrestricted access to information could penetrate state security, lead to public outcry, hand over technologies to terrorists, and facilitate corporate monopoly. So information has to be properly scrutinized before making them public. In this digital era, information spread like wildfire and for the sake of maintaining global peace, it should be delimited, according to this group of people. For instance, if nuclear technology is shared with all nations for scientific studies, the world will soon stand on the verge of obliteration, despite the incredible possibility this technology possesses to facilitate the citizens’ energy demands.
On the contrary, those who advocate for unobstructed access to information say that scientific research largely depends on available data and previous findings. If valuable information and past findings are not shared openly with academics and researchers, global progress will become a standstill. For instance, the Internet is probably the most significant invention the modern world has produced and if this technology had not been shared by the US military, we would still be living in the pre-internet era. Moreover, clandestine information has no value if it is not implemented in the real world and thus curbing them is like slaughtering the potential for progress. World history suggests that the human race has advanced due to discoveries and inventions shared with the world as each finding went through profound modification and advancement. I thus personally favour the ideology that supports “free information for all”.