The First Amendment protects freedom of speech in the United States.
Ratified on December 15, 1791, the amendment is part of the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution. It protects freedom of speech alongside freedoms of religion, the press, peaceful assembly, and petitioning the government.
The First Amendment restricts government action; it generally does not prevent private employers, websites, or organizations from setting their own speech rules. Courts have developed extensive case law explaining how the protection applies to political expression, symbolic conduct, public demonstrations, and other forms of communication.
Freedom of speech is only one part of the amendment. The text also contains the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses concerning religion, making it broader than a simple guarantee of public expression.