Free speech can refer to two distinct but related concepts.

1. Free speech as in the US first amendment. This indeed is limited to the government.

2. Free speech as in the enlightenment ideal upon which western liberal societies are built.

It is usually obvious that people mean the second because it is the only one that is even relevant outside the US. Somehow the narrow-minded people who can not conceptualize that free speech is broader than the first definition think it is a big gotcha' to jump into conversations with this kind of "um achtually".

This is becoming tiresome.