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The latest Knight Foundation-Ipsos Future of the First Amendment study, which builds on research among college students dating back to 2016 and now examines attitudes among 18- to 29-year-olds, shows that young adults (in this report, “young adults” refers to a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults ages 18-29) largely view First Amendment rights as important. However, despite the perceived importance of those rights, most young adults do not view these rights as secure. Notably, compared to the most recent survey in 2024, there is a decline in the number of college students ages 18-24 who view freedom of speech and other First Amendment rights as secure in our society today.

This report delves into the dynamic and multifaceted issues surrounding free expression on campuses, in the workplace and in our society as a whole. Most young adults believe speech can be as damaging as physical violence, and some — particularly Black and Hispanic young adults — feel they have a hard time exercising their free speech rights without consequence. However, when it comes to the campus environment, fewer students report feeling uncomfortable due to speech compared with two years ago.

The top reason young adults hold back opinions is simply to keep personal views private. This survey indicates signs that some young people may not be actively expressing themselves online or are choosing to be more intentional about speech. About 1 in 4 cite fear of negative consequences like being “canceled” when around classmates, professors or colleagues. Yet few take action beyond distancing themselves from others or calling out inappropriate comments. Notably, nearly two-thirds have never faced repercussions for expressing their views, and when consequences do occur, being blocked or unfollowed on social media tops the list.

Amid our rapidly transforming technological landscape, young adults prioritize personal data privacy and do not believe that First Amendment protections should be extended to AI-generated content. When assessing AI’s uses and potential, young adults are more cautious, with few supporting unrestricted access to AI tools or the generation of content that could include offensive or biased material.

Navigating the complexities of free expression remains paramount for young people, who now stand at the crossroads of technological change and evolving societal expectations. This research underscores the essential need for dialogue and understanding about First Amendment rights — from the classroom, to the workforce, to online spaces.

This study was conducted March 23 to April 7, 2026, by Ipsos using the probability-based KnowledgePanel® on behalf of Knight Foundation. This poll is based on a representative sample of 1,051 U.S. adults, ages 18-29. A supplemental sample of 493 additional undergraduate college students ages 18-24 was collected at the same time; this resulted in a total of 1,100 college students ages 18-24, including 391 from the main sample of adults ages 18-29.

Key Findings

Young adults in the U.S. overwhelmingly view freedom of speech as both personally important and a pillar of American democracy.

There is broad agreement on the importance of freedom of speech, as well as most other First Amendment rights, among white, Black, Hispanic, and Asian American and Pacific Islander adults under age 30, as well as among young Republicans, Democrats and independents. Nearly 9 in 10 (88%) agree that protecting free speech is an important part of American democracy. These attitudes have not significantly changed since 2021.

But several fundamental rights and freedoms, including freedom of speech, are viewed as increasingly under threat.

Only about a third of young adults (32%) say freedom of speech is secure; twice as many say it is under threat. There are comparable levels of concern over freedom of the press, the right to equal protection under the law and the right to privacy. Confidence in the security of freedom of speech, as well as other First Amendment rights, has declined sharply since 2021.

College student views of the security of First Amendment rights continue to decline

Fewer than 4 in 10 college students say freedom of speech is secure in the U.S. — the lowest level measured in a decade of Future of the First Amendment surveys. The pattern is similar for other First Amendment rights: This research captures new lows on the shares saying freedom of the press and freedom of religion, as well as the right to privacy and freedom to assemble, are secure. As the 2026 midterm elections approach, only half of college students say the right to vote is secure.

Black and Hispanic young adults face bigger challenges in exercising First Amendment rights.

Only about a quarter of Black young adults (28%) and a third of Hispanics rate it as easy or very easy to use their right to free speech without consequence. White young adults are far more likely to say it is easy to exercise their right to free speech (53%).

The climate for speech on campus has changed.

Colleges and universities continue to navigate their role as spaces for open inquiry and the free exchange of ideas. After climbing steadily from 2017 to 2024, the share of college students who say they have ever felt uncomfortable by comments made about their race, religion, gender or sexual orientation has declined sharply. About 3 in 10 students (29%) say they have felt uncomfortable by comments about their identity; that is 15 percentage points lower than two years ago and the lowest share saying this since 2017.

Some young adults self-censor in the workplace and online, preferring to keep their views private instead of engaging in public spaces.

Some young adults — about 3 in 10 — say they often hold back their opinions on politics, race, immigration and other issues from their bosses and co-workers. That’s somewhat higher than the shares saying they censor their views in other venues, such as on social media or with their friends and families. More young people express reticence about sharing their views in work settings because they prefer to keep their views private, rather than fear of being canceled or other reasons.

Young adults are divided over legal protections for hate speech.

A slim majority of all young adults believe that hate speech — attacks on people based on their race and other personal characteristics — should be protected by the First Amendment, while 42% say it should not. There are notable divides along racial and partisan lines, with white young adults and Republicans more likely to favor hate speech protections than their peers. However, reflecting internal tensions around speech among young people, there is broad support overall for banning hate speech on college campuses. As in the past, there is a similar sentiment in college students’ opinions about hate speech.

Fewer college students equate speech with physical violence since 2024.

Most young adults believe that some forms of speech can be as damaging as physical violence. While this viewpoint is shared fairly equally across racial and ethnic groups, women are more likely than men to liken some forms of speech to violence. Among college students specifically, the share who equate speech to physical violence has dropped 11 percentage points since 2024, to 59%.

Most young adults don’t believe that AI-generated content should be protected by the First Amendment.

As AI use increases, relatively few young adults support unrestricted AI content generation, if that includes offensive or biased material. Similarly, just 15% think it is extremely or very important to extend the same First Amendment protections to AI-generated content as to human-created content. There also is widespread concern over AI generating false or misleading information: Nearly 8 in 10 young people say AI-generated images and video make it harder for them to know what’s true online.

Half of young adults are wary of expressing themselves on social media.

Most young people believe online spaces are not conducive to constructive discourse. A majority say social media stifles free expression because some companies are suppressing certain views. Meanwhile, half of young adults say that in the past year, they have limited sharing their views, while about as many — including 6 in 10 women — say they have blocked or unfollowed someone because of their views.