Tech CEO Urges Limiting First Amendment to Protect It
Cato Networks CEO Shlomo Kramer says the U.S. should consider limiting First Amendment protections amid AI-driven cyber warfare
Shlomo Kramer, co-founder and CEO of cybersecurity firm Cato Networks, drew swift backlash after saying on CNBC that the U.S. should consider limiting First Amendment protections to respond to the growing risks of AI-driven cyber warfare.
Kramer made the remarks during an appearance on CNBC’s “Money Movers”, in a segment focused on how artificial intelligence is reshaping cyber conflict and geopolitical competition. “I know it’s difficult to hear, but it’s time to limit the First Amendment in order to protect it,” Kramer said, according to the CNBC video clip.
When pressed on what that would mean in practice, Kramer said governments should take stronger control over social platforms. “We need to control all the social platforms and take control of what they are saying,” he said in the interview.
The comments spread quickly online and sparked criticism from users who argued that restricting speech rights runs counter to democratic values. Some responses framed the statement “limit the First Amendment in order to protect it” as inherently contradictory, reflecting how contentious the intersection of security policy and free expression has become.
Kramer’s argument was presented in the context of an intensifying debate over how open societies should respond to information operations, disinformation, and other digitally enabled threats—especially as AI tools reduce the cost and increase the scale of influence campaigns and cyber attacks.
The exchange also highlighted a broader fault line in tech and security circles: whether democracies can effectively compete with more centralized systems, such as China, without adopting tougher controls over online speech and platform governance.
Source: CNBC — “AI will revolutionize cyber warfare, says Cato Networks CEO” (Dec. 29, 2025)
