I also believe that the free flow of information is crucial for a free market to operate for the benefit of all. These truths are now self-evident. In fact, the RIC conferences are a leading example of the importance of information exchange. In the era of information technology, where you, and most everyone else, can quickly get any information desired, information provides the feedback needed to assess performance while acting to promote or reduce expectations. If used well, information anchors democracy, even if you don't like what you're hearing or seeing.
Democracy needs checks and balances.
The free flow of information shines light on the checks and balances. I am an optimist. Once information regarding patently objectionable behavior becomes known in a free society, the information about these actions and the response of society to it, will, sooner or later, remedy the situation. If the issue is in the marketplace, the society with free market forces will correct the situation faster and better than closed market societies. However, in just about any type of society, information, when made available to the people, should lead them to correct injustices, whatever their origin.