That's not controlling speech. That's holding people accountable for what they say and do.

Lol, that is some world class doublespeak there. That is very literally just two ways of saying the same thing. The only difference is whether you are the one holding them accountable, or whether people you disagree with are.

The thing is, if you are afraid you might be cancelled, you won't express opinions that might be controversial.

For example, I am dubious of the fairness of trans women competing in sports against biological women. I 100% support trans rights, but only to the point that they don't infringe on other people's rights. Until we have more info, I feel that such competition should be limited.

That seems to me that it should be an uncontroversial position: Just follow the evidence. But on Reddit, it is absolutely not. I will no longer even voice that opinion because it has lead to me getting banned on subreddits in the past, and shouted down with insults even when I wasn't banned.

I only post it here with reluctance because it so well illustrates the point. Cancel culture, whether on the left or the right, silences critics of the mainstream (within the group) position. That is absolutely controlling speech.