First Amendment

The First Amendment is the first article of the U.S. Bill of Rights, ratified in 1791. It prohibits Congress — and by extension all levels of government — from making laws that abridge freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, the right to peaceful assembly, or the right to petition the government. It is the legal bedrock of American civil liberties and the constitutional grounding for Gab's founding values.

What it means

The amendment reads, in part: "Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press." Courts have interpreted this broadly. Government cannot ban political speech, restrict prior to publication (prior restraint), or create policies that have a chilling effect on speech without compelling justification.

What the First Amendment does not cover: private platforms, private employers, or private entities. Twitter can remove your account. Your employer can fire you for what you post. These aren't First Amendment violations — they're private actions. The cultural debate is whether that distinction still makes sense when a handful of private companies control most of the world's speech infrastructure.

How it works on Gab

Gab uses the First Amendment as its practical moderation standard. If speech is protected under U.S. constitutional law, it's generally protected on Gab. This isn't a legal obligation — it's a product decision and a founding value. Andrew Torba has described Gab as a platform that takes the First Amendment seriously as a cultural commitment, not just a legal minimum.

Related terms

The First Amendment protects free speech from government restriction. Section 230 explains why private platforms can moderate without being treated as publishers. Prior restraint and chilling effect are important doctrines within First Amendment law.