" this newfound freedom only emerged after years of intense external pressure. There’s no theological revelation behind this softening. There’s just a growing pile of lawsuits and a desperate need to look less like a high-control cult and more like a mainstream faith."
Good observations there ! always moves are motivated by the desire to keep the $$$ flowing in, which is what is behind all the other latest moves, to look less like a high control cult, to the public and the Courts. Whereas nothing much has changed as to how free your mind and actions are as a J.W.
The insidious thing is that J.W's will exert pressure on others in their Congregation by shunning to some degree someone who has exercised their own conscience, made their own decision, and accepted something which is with weasel words still actually forbidden by the Org.
This goes against the words of Jesus where he plainly taught "The Law is for Man, not Man for the Law", in other words as long as a Christian does not go against the plain commands not to murder or commit adultery etc. then it is up to them and their conscience alone as to how they apply "the Law" in their own lives. Nobody else has the right to impose their conscience and ideas upon you.
But that is not what happens now , the Org. is still as much a High Control Group as it ever was.