I'm generally of the unpopular-on-Reddit opinion that active moderation is more 'free' than just free-for-all speech. Communities which allow things like heavily racist or misogynist rhetoric automatically make that a place where marginalised groups do not feel welcome, and are therefore much less likely to post in. So it's free only in technicality, not in practice. Active moderation, which accounts for these trends by editing or removing content which violates a set of rules of conduct, provides a space where you are much more likely to get a diverse range of insight and experience simply because it isn't just the shoutiest, most persistent people who get the platform.