If the people who submitted were also people who had landed on Earth, then it would be the same.
With just a thought, the controller could control your life in the Empire Era.
Even if you had any intention of harming the controller, you would be discovered.
And most importantly, even in the modern world, the controller could clearly sense your location.
Which means that the controller can't control your life and death with one thought in the modern world.
But the controller know exactly where they are, and controller can kill them at any time.
And, because of the rules!
If you're in control, you can't do anything to harm the person in control, even in modern times.
Like Christine.
After submitting to Jerry, she wouldn't be able to reveal any information about Jerry, even to her own family.
This was absolute control.