In a significant shift within the Reddit community, several popular subreddits have begun banning links to X, following a controversial gesture made by Elon Musk that has drawn comparisons to a Nazi salute. Subreddits such as r/formula1, r/military, r/nursing, r/TwoXChromosomes, and r/nintendo have all announced their bans on linking to content from X.
This trend has escalated across the platform after neo-Nazis celebrated Musk’s remarks at a rally for Donald Trump. During his speech, Musk raised his arm in a manner that historians, elected officials, and Holocaust survivor organizations have interpreted as a Nazi salute. Musk, while addressing supporters, placed his hand on his chest and extended his arm forward, a gesture some have defended as being aligned with his words of empathy.
Despite the backlash, Musk has not distanced himself from the implications of his gesture, dismissing criticisms and remarking on X that the “everyone is Hitler” narrative is “soooo tired.” Additionally, Musk has a history of promoting racist and antisemitic conspiracy theories, including the Great Replacement Theory, and has been active in both U.S. and German politics, even endorsing far-right parties like the Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Regardless of Musk’s intentions, extremist groups have expressed approval; as reported by Rolling Stone, white supremacists have hailed this moment as a “Donald Trump White Power moment,” thanking Musk for acknowledging their sentiments.
These newly instituted bans on links to X encompass millions of Reddit users from various backgrounds and interests. Some subreddits have opted to allow screenshots from X but prohibit hyperlinks, while other large communities, such as r/nba and r/nfl, are contemplating similar measures. Moreover, the user experience of accessing X links on Reddit has been subpar, as links frequently fail to unfurl, requiring users to have an X account to engage with the conversations.
As a Reddit spokesperson stated, while individual subreddits can establish their own rules, there is no overarching ban on X links enforced by Reddit Inc., and such links still appear across various subreddits.
X has not responded to inquiries regarding this issue.
