Reddit groups ban X links in protest at Elon Musk arm gesture (VIDEO); What's the controversy?

San Francisco: More than 100 Reddit communities have banned users from posting links to X in protest at owner Elon Musk's controversial arm gesture at a rally celebrating Donald Trump's return to office.

The billionaire twice extended his arm out straight as he thanked the crowd for "making it happen."

Critics, including some historians, said it was a Nazi salute - Musk has dismissed that, saying comparisons with Hitler were "tired" and "dirty tricks."

<

Whatta ya think... Nazi salute, or... gee, I dunno what else it could be!

Musk tried to cover by adding a pre-gesture chest-pound, and closed with “My heart goes out to you" (solo chest pound this time), but no way to disguise that emphatic extended arm! pic.twitter.com/CBQMg7IeGc

— JoJo (@DogsNDemocrats) January 21, 2025 >

However, many Reddit users have been unpersuaded by his response describing his actions as "hateful", leading the moderators of scores of communities - or subreddits - to stop content being shared on X.

X has not commented but Reddit has stressed there is no sitewide ban on X links, telling the BBC in a statement 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 on their own corner of the website, the BBC reported.

In many instances, those Redditors have reached a different conclusion, deciding Musk's actions were so offensive that they won't link to content from their subreddits on X, potentially reducing traffic, engagement and - ultimately - revenue.

The biggest subreddits to have enforced the ban include basketball community r/NBA, which has 15 million members, female-focused community r/TwoXChromosomes, which has 14 million members, and American football community r/NFL, which has 12 million members.

It is worth remembering that subreddits are almost always run by fans - it does not mean that the NFL or NBA organisations are taking a stance against Musk.

The BBC has independently verified that at least 100 subreddits have banned X posts.

Of this number, more than 60 have at least 100,000 members.

But the actual number that have instituted the ban will likely be significantly higher by taking into account smaller subreddits with only a few thousand members.

And there are many more communities discussing a potential blacklisting.