For many of us the internet is the last bastion of (relatively) free speech and free-ish access to information. I've never actually lived in a society that doesn't censor everything uncomfortable to the government and wouldn't even know what it's like if not for the 'net.

Foreign companies have also repeatedly shown that they're happy to go along with the latest and greatest idea of the government to avoid being blocked. Right now it's not really a problem as I can easily pretend to be a middle-aged balding guy from rural Germany (or wherever).

You can probably combine the two and see where it leads to.

How, besides the internet, do you transmit information in an easily-accessible format to loads of people who are not currently in your vicinity?

there's a reason folks insist that the research in gun violence in the US be conducted via paper and not a digital database. it slows it down /sooooo much/.