Five 1A Questions With New Freedom Forum Fellow Ashkhen Kazaryan

Ashkhen Kazaryan is Freedom Forum’s new fellow for the First Amendment. She is a tech policy expert specializing in digital free speech, artificial intelligence, and the intersection of constitutional rights and technology. Kazaryan has a Master of Law degree from Yale Law School and is completing her doctorate in law at the Law School of Lomonosov Moscow State University. Learn more about Kazaryan’s background and expertise here.
Your career has had a particular focus on tech policy and free speech. What do you think are the biggest issues in this area of the law currently?
There are quite a few, but I’ll give you three. First, repeated government attempts to regulate online speech are justified in their eyes by the scale and global nature of the internet. This is further complicated by constant innovation such as recent developments in the generative AI space. Constant innovation and new mediums for speech raise novel legal and ethical dilemmas we, as a society, need to address.
Second, the ongoing debates around Section 230 remain central. As the law that “created the internet,” Section 230 enables platforms to moderate content responsibly without the chilling effects of excessive liability. Efforts to reform or repeal it risk overly moderating or significantly restricting user generated content, which could stifle the diversity of voices and innovation that define the open web.
Third, the balkanization of the internet risks fragmenting the global digital landscape as countries impose conflicting regulations on content moderation, data localization and platform governance. This trend threatens the internet's openness and interoperability, creating isolated digital ecosystems that stifle free expression and limit innovation.
Governments have always struggled to regulate new technologies in a way that doesn’t violate the First Amendment. Do you agree? If so, why do you think this is the case?
I agree! Governments have always struggled to regulate new technologies without running headfirst into the First Amendment. New technologies disrupt traditional concepts of communication and expression. From the printing press to broadcast radio, to the internet and generative AI, the government has seen an opportunity to reassert control through laws or regulations. Time and again, these attempts have been struck down in court, with history showing that the First Amendment remains a robust shield against efforts to curb free expression, regardless of the medium.
What is the most common misperception Americans have about the First Amendment?
A common misconception is that the First Amendment grants free speech to a platform or audience. In reality, it protects against government suppression of speech but does not require private platforms, organizations or communities to host or amplify any particular viewpoint. Freedom of speech is not the freedom of reach!
You’re a Broadway theater fan – and musical theater, of course, is brought to us by the First Amendment. What’s your favorite show and why?
It depends on my mood. If I’m sad, it's “Into the Woods.” If I’m in a good mood, it’s “Chicago.” Right now, I'm mostly listening to “Wicked.” Not only is it an international cultural phenomenon, but it also carries a powerful message about the dangers of government propaganda and how narratives can be manipulated to serve those in power.
How do you exercise your First Amendment rights?
I exercise my First Amendment rights by speaking up about issues I’m passionate about and by diving headfirst into debates that matter. I also love using those same rights to share my hot takes on movies, football, and soccer, arguing about this year’s Oscars contenders and NFL playoff odds until I physically lose my voice. Freedom of expression isn’t just a principle, it’s woven into the way we connect, argue and live every single day!
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