The universality of bits gives mankind a rare opportunity. We are in a position to decide on an overarching view of information. We can be bound in the future by first principles, not historical contingencies. In the U.S., the digital explosion has blown away much of the technological wrapping obscuring the First Amendment. Knowing that information is just bits, all societies will be faced with stark questions about where information should be open, where it should be controlled, and where it should be banned.
