When you host your site with a service like Blogger, Tumblr, Squarespace, Medium, or the like, you ultimately hand the reins over to a company that can remove your content at any time.

The same goes for WordPress.com, yet Automattic have defended several blogs from censorship and lawsuits on their platform. I applaud that.

Also, a "self-hosted" WordPress installation doesn't really mean you are free from being shut down or censored. For example, many web hosts do not want content of pornographic or "ethically wrong" nature (such as torrenting or self harm guides) on their servers and can shut your site down without notice. It's in their terms of service.

And even if you do find a web host that allows this, or if you literally host the site yourself, freedom of speech has its limitations by law. An example of this is a Canadian guy who was charged with "corruption of morals" for running a WordPress site showcasing violent pictures and videos.

But great post Sarah, and definitely a topic that needs more attention.