First Amendment to the United States Constitution

The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prevents the government from making laws which regulate an establishment of religion, prohibit the free exercise of religion, or abridge the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, the right to peaceably assemble, or the right to petition the government for redress of grievances. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, as one of the ten amendments that constitute the Bill of Rights.

Speech rights were expanded significantly in a series of 20th and 21st century court decisions. It is a common misconception that the First Amendment prohibits anyone from limiting free speech, including private, non-governmental entities. It is applicable only to state actors.

Organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Centre and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum support censorship of Holocaust revisionism, including in other countries, find these amendments problematic, as it (for now) protects free speech regarding Holocaust revisionism in the United States.

Support for censorship of "hate speech" varies greatly with race. In a 2015 survey, censorship was opposed by a majority of Whites, but supported by a majority of non-Whites, especially Blacks. Changing White demographics may thus have consequences for free speech in the future.

See also

• Hate speech
• The Alt-Right and censorship