Researcher ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4512-2880
Graduation Year
2025
Date of Submission
4-2025
Document Type
Campus Only Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Government
Reader 1
John Pitney
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
@2025 Billy M Hennessy
Abstract
The rapid incorporation of social media platforms into the daily lives of American citizens has shed light to urgent debates regarding how to regulate these digital spaces while upholding the rights rooted in the Constitution. In particular, arguments around the First Amendment of free expression. The dissertation examines to changing political landscape of regulating media in the United States, primarily focusing on the initiatives built to protect minors and increase user privacy without infringing on people’s free speech rights. Major federal efforts such as the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act and the EARN IT Act demonstrate how well intentioned laws can still struggle under the scrutiny of the Constitution over concerns about compelled speech, prior restraint, and overbearing censorship. Through analysis of policies both internally and internationally, this thesis proposes various paths forward in respect to America's constitutional rights.
Recommended Citation
Hennessy, Billy M., "Safeguarding Minors Online Without Silencing First Amendment Rights" (2025). CMC Senior Theses. 4009.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/4009
This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.
