“Beware of he who would deny you access to information…”

“Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master” is a saying that has been printed on many images. It is from the video game Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri (1999) and spoken by the character Commissioner Pravin Lal.
   
The extended quotation is:
   
“As the Americans learned so painfully in Earth’s final century, free flow of information is the only safeguard against tyranny. The once-chained people whose leaders at last lose their grip on information flow will soon burst with freedom and vitality, but the free nation gradually constricting its grip on public discourse has begun its rapid slide into despotism. Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master.”
   
       
Wikipedia: Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri
Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri is a 4X video game, considered a spiritual sequel to the Civilization series. Set in a science fiction depiction of the 22nd century, the game begins as seven competing ideological factions land on the planet Chiron (“Planet”) in the Alpha Centauri star system. As the game progresses, Planet’s growing sentience becomes a formidable obstacle to the human colonists.
 
Sid Meier, designer of Civilization, and Brian Reynolds, designer of Civilization II, developed Alpha Centauri after they left MicroProse to join with Jeff Briggs in creating a new video game developer: Firaxis Games. Electronic Arts released both Alpha Centauri and its expansion, Sid Meier’s Alien Crossfire, in 1999.
     
Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri
As the Americans learned so painfully in Earth’s final century, free flow of information is the only safeguard against tyranny. The once-chained people whose leaders at last lose their grip on information flow will soon burst with freedom and vitality, but the free nation gradually constricting its grip on public discourse has begun its rapid slide into despotism. Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master.
Commissioner Pravin Lal
“U.N. Declaration of Rights”
   
Google Books
Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri
By Chris McCubbin, ‎David Ladyman and ‎Sid Meier
Rocklin, CA: Prima Games
1999
Pg. 215:
As the Americans learned so painfully in Earth’s final century, free flow of information is the only safeguard against tyranny. The once-chained people whose leaders at last lose their grip on information flow will soon burst with freedom and vitality, but the free nation gradually constricting its grip on public discourse has begun its rapid slide into despotism. Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master.
Commissioner Pravin Lal
“U.N. Declaration of Rights”
 
YouTube
Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri Secret Project: The Planetary Datalinks
Oct 17, 2006
matsku84
Playlist of all SMAC and SMAX cutscenes: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=...
From the videogame known as Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri, this is the secret project video for The Planetary Datalinks.
     
Reddit—Quotes
Posted by u/Abdakin July 16, 2014
“Beware he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart, he dreams himself your master.” - Commisioner Pravin Lal, Alpha Centauri (game from Firaxis)
 
Twitter
Sam Bowman 🇺🇦
@s8mb
“Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master.” A really annoying video game character said that, Commissioner Pravin Lal from (one of the best games ever) Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri, but there’s quite a bit of truth there.
10:17 AM · Apr 29, 2019·Twitter Web Client
     
Google Books
Facebook:
The Inside Story
By Steven Levy
New York, NY: Penguin
2020
Pg. 32:
Zuckerberg would later use a Lal quote as the signature on his Facebook profile:
 
Beware of he who would deny you access to information , for in his heart he dreams himself your master.
 
Twitter
Wydamn
@wydamn
Replying to @FPSCarol
SMAC is so underrated. I realized it wasn’t just another 4X game when I saw this project completion cutscene.  “Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master.”
youtube.com
Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri Secret Project: The Planetary Datalinks
Playlist of all SMAC and SMAX cutscenes: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBBA4EA8EABF39223From the videogame known as Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri, this ...
12:39 PM · Oct 25, 2021·Twitter Web App