The answer is that it was less censored than it is now. People just blew a few high-profile instances of moderation out of proportion and misinterpreted the nature of various official communications with the platform. In the last transparency report before Elon took over, Twitter’s compliance with government takedown requests was ~50%. Since Elon’s takeover, the compliance rate has gone up to ~80%. The idea that he was going to “free” Twitter was a ruse from the start, and Jack’s support of that idea suggests a stunning lack of judgment on his part, assuming he actually believed what he said at the time. Either way, no matter how much these billionaire tech bros claim to care about freedom, they will always prioritize their own material interests over the interests of the public. That is the lesson.