as tocqueville pointed out, people may be hesitant to speak freely not because of fear of government punishment but because of social pressures. when an individual announces an unpopular opinion, he or she may face the disdain of their community or even be subjected to violent reactions. while this type of suppression of speech is even more difficult to prevent than government suppression is, there are questions about whether it truly falls within the ambit of freedom of speech, which is typically regarded as a legal right to be exercised against the government, or immunity from governmental action.