Junior Nabiha Khan came in second place in the Connecticut Foundation for Open Government (CFOG) statewide essay contest for her argument about the responsibilities of the owners of social media platforms.

“Free speech proves vital for a healthy democracy; however, speech that may cause more harm than good damages democracy by posing a threat to people’s lives,” Khan wrote. “Given the Capitol insurrection and the violence against Asian Americans, Congress should strengthen libel laws against social media platforms in order to prevent such violence. Social media owners make tremendous profits and, therefore, must take more responsibility in preventing libelous online speech.”

Khan’s prize is a certificate along with a $500 check. CFOG is a nonprofit educational organization based on the principle that open, transparent government is in the public interest.