People feared the effect of easily available printed books because they worried about losing control over the spread of ideas and the potential for social and moral disruption.

Example from Europe: In the 16th century, the Roman Catholic Church feared the impact of printed books. The press allowed the ideas of Protestant reformers like Martin Luther to circulate widely, challenging the Church’s authority and leading to a major split in Christianity. The Church believed that if common people could read and interpret the Bible and other religious texts for themselves, it would lead to heretical ideas and undermine its power. This fear led them to create the Index of Prohibited Books to control what people read.

Example from India: In the 19th century, conservative Hindus and Muslims feared the impact of print on women and traditional values. They believed that literacy and the reading of novels and other materials would "corrupt" women, making them disobedient, neglectful of their domestic duties, and immoral. They feared that print would expose women to a world outside the home and disrupt the established patriarchal social order.