It's not free expression when someone else chooses what everyone sees.

Threads is notorious for de-boosting posts with external links. This is a deliberate choice which filters facts and external references out of the conversation.

Or you can just delay the feed of posters you don't like. They arrive at every debate a day late, while your favourites go through immediately. And to more people.

And so on.

There's nothing free about any of this. It's covert behaviour and sentiment modification.

With a newspaper you get an editorial angle, so you can choose it if you want it.

Social media pretends to be a neutral conduit. But it's carefully curated and manipulated, and you don't know how or why.