Over 100 Reddit communities have banned users from posting links to X in protest against owner Elon Musk's controversial gesture at a rally celebrating Donald Trump's return to office.
The billionaire extended his arm straight out twice as he thanked the crowd for "making it happen."
Critics, including some historians, said it resembled a Nazi salute. Mr. Musk dismissed this, calling comparisons with Hitler "tired" and "dirty tricks."
However, many Reddit users were not convinced by his response, describing his actions as "hateful." This led moderators of numerous communities, or subreddits, to stop content from being shared on X.
X has not commented, but Reddit emphasized there is no sitewide ban on X links. In a statement to the BBC, Reddit said it "has a longstanding commitment to freedom of speech and freedom of association."
However, the platform relies heavily on community moderation, where unpaid individuals known as Redditors decide what is—and isn't—allowed to be published in their part of the website.
In many cases, these Redditors have decided that Mr. Musk's actions were so offensive that they won't allow links to content from their subreddits on X. This could reduce traffic, engagement, and ultimately, revenue.
The largest subreddits enforcing the ban include the basketball community r/NBA, with 15 million members, the female-focused community r/TwoXChromosomes, with 14 million members, and the American football community r/NFL, with 12 million members.
It's important to note that subreddits are usually run by fans, which doesn't mean the NFL or NBA organizations are taking a stance against Musk.
The BBC has independently verified that at least 100 subreddits have banned X posts.
Out of this number, more than 60 have at least 100,000 members.
However, the actual number of subreddits enforcing the ban is likely much higher when considering smaller subreddits with only a few thousand members.
Additionally, many more communities are discussing a potential blacklist.
Who and why?
The subreddits run by fans of football clubs Liverpool, Celtic, and Tottenham Hotspur have all implemented bans, as have communities for many U.S. sports teams and Formula 1. Subreddits where residents of various cities and countries gather—ranging from New Jersey to South Korea—have also blocked posts to X. Gamers have joined in, banning posts related to video games like Baldur's Gate 3 and World of Warcraft.
While these bans may have started in some communities, they are now appearing in various places where people discuss a wide range of topics, from RuPaul's Drag Race to Disneyland and even the military.
Most subreddits discussing a ban support it, but some have refused. For example, the moderators of the Maine community say they won't implement a ban as long as "the state maintains official accounts there." Meanwhile, those running a group for people in British Columbia stated they simply aren't "doing censorship here."
Does it matter?
Although many subreddits already ban posts from social media, those focused on professional sports might significantly affect referrals to X. This is because sports subreddits often feature content from athletes, analysts, and journalists who frequently post online.
For instance, the two most popular posts ever on the NBA subreddit are screenshots from X, and three of the top ten posts on the AEW wrestling subreddit are also screenshots from the platform.
Gaming subreddits tell a similar story, with top posts in the Animal Crossing and Kingdom Hearts communities being screenshots from X.
However, these bans might not be permanent. Reddit is known for community movements to protest broader issues, which don't always last.