All citizens have the same level of access to the Internet. The Internet is more often used to discuss important issues than to discuss frivolous issues. People speaking in the public square of days past had complete freedom of expression. A public forum can lose effectiveness as a tool of democracy if participants cannot discuss issues freely.
The public square was an important tool of democracy in days past because it provided a forum for disparate citizens to discuss the important issues of the day. Today, a person with Internet access can discuss important issues with millions of people across the nation, allowing the Internet to play the role once played by the public square. Hence, we should ensure that Internet users have at least as much freedom of expression as did people speaking in the public square.
Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument?