Speaking from experience, I’ve been on internet since 1990. Even back then there were censorship. Moderators that took away your post if it was irrelevant or wasn’t on topic. You couldn’t store specific types of images (porn) etc.

I’ve never believed that internet was about “free speech” but more “grouping of specific type of speech”. If you were interested in something you either created that or hang out with others that thought the same. For me it has never been about free speech, just a way to reach stuff. Free speech in IRL is another thing.