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First Amendment and Social Media Use

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First Amendment and Social Media Use

The First Amendment is very instrumental in protecting rights to expression. This law

guarantees the freedoms regarding the right to petition, assembly, expression, and religion. The

law forbids congress from confining the rights of persons or the media to speak liberally and

therefore guarantees the freedom of expression ("First Amendment," 2022). I understand the

Amendment as a safeguard to a personal right of expression. In this regard, one can choose any

way they feel like to express their emotions or feelings about any topic or issue. The drafters of

the federal constitution and the 1st Amendment did so to safeguard expression via print media or

expressions of views in a public forum. Currently, the law is critical, especially with the growth

of technology.

Technology changes and advancements have revolutionized the way people interact,

communicate, and express their views. One of the most significant technological advancements

in communication, interaction, and expression is social media. People, especially young people,

use the platform to express themselves. Some of the views presented through the platform may

irk others, especially the political class. This may make the government limit the type of

information presented via social media. The 1st Amendment is critical in restricting congress and

other forms of government from enacting any laws that prevent or restrict expression through

social media.

Social media is currently the platform with the largest audience. The interaction of this

audience is likely to cause issues that may anger others because of the information presented.

Provided that the information is an expression of ideas and issues and not a cybercrime, no one

should limit the information shared courtesy of the First Amendment (Neshapriyan, 2022).
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However, although the law protects the right to expression through social media, all users should

express tolerance and respect of other people’s privacy as a violation of these rights can result in

legal consequences.
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References

Neshapriyan, M. (2022). Social Media And Freedom of Speech And Expression.

Legalserviceindia.com. Retrieved 10 January 2022, from

https://www.legalserviceindia.com/legal/article-426-social-media-and-freedom-of-

speech-and-expression.html.

First Amendment. LII / Legal Information Institute. (2022). Retrieved 10 January 2022, from

https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/first_amendment.