Chilling effect

Etymology

A legal term of art that emerged in United States First Amendment jurisprudence in the 1950s–60s, using “chilling” in the sense of dampening or deterring. The Supreme Court warned that vague or overbroad laws could “chill” protected expression as people self-censor to stay safe.

noun phrase · /CHIL-ing ih-FEKT/
The discouragement of legitimate speech or action by the threat of legal penalty or retaliation, even without any ban.
What it names
Names how the mere fear of consequences can silence people, doing censorship’s work without an explicit rule.
Example
Sweeping surveillance can create a chilling effect, making journalists and their sources afraid to communicate at all.
Related idea
A chilling effect deters through fear while nothing is formally forbidden; censorship is the direct suppression, and the spiral of silence is the social version, where people mute unpopular views to avoid isolation.