What First Amendment principle was upheld in the case of New York Times v. United States?

The principle upheld in the case of New York Times v. United States revolves around the concept of protection against prior restraint. This significant Supreme Court case addressed the government's attempt to prevent the New York Times from publishing classified documents concerning the Vietnam War, known as the Pentagon Papers. The Court ruled that the government's efforts constituted a form of prior restraint on the press, which is primarily prohibited under the First Amendment.

By emphasizing that a free press is essential to a democratic society, the ruling reinforced the idea that the government cannot impose restrictions on publication simply because the information might be embarrassing or critical of its actions. This case is pivotal in ensuring that journalists can report freely and that public debate is not stifled by government censorship.

The other options focus on different aspects of First Amendment rights that were not the central issue addressed in this case, making them less relevant to the specific principle upheld in the ruling.