I remember seeing it a lot used around the context of media piracy and attempts by companies to control the narration and dissemination of content via legal grounds. Stuff like region-locked DVDs, control over distribution of a game or film into countries that might have banned that media, attempts to censor and control dissemination of a particular article or essay. When duplication becomes essentially free then content, good content, will want to be free and ultimately any attempt to lock down and control this information will eventually be thwarted.

At the time, I it was a positive sentiment. Government secrets would leak out (which they have). Rare or impossible to find books, films, and music would become freely available. If governments or corporations tried to restrict access to those books they would fail, etc.

These days, I often find myself using the phrase more as an ethical warning. Any information you gather or create will eventually become freed. So if you're gay and live in the middle east, don't post it on Facebook because eventually that information will be freed. Don't collect personal information of dissidents in countries were they may be persecuted. Don't collect information about your customers that you don't want eventually going public (e.g. do stupid things like store credit card numbers and social security numbers when you don't have to)