Recently, numerous Reddit communities have initiated bans on links to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, following a controversy related to a gesture made by Elon Musk, the platform’s majority owner, during an inaugural event on Monday.

Members of various subreddits, including a Formula 1 community with almost 5 million users, have recommended that moderators enforce a ban on links to X.com. The aim is to minimize the traffic directed to X when such links are posted in their subreddit.

Reddit allows users to create or modify rules within their individual forums, a representative confirmed to YSL News on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, a moderator from the Formula 1 subreddit declared that the community would ban all content from X for a trial period that may become permanent. This decision was made shortly after Musk made headlines for his comments at President Donald Trump’s inauguration rally, where he performed a gesture that some interpreted as controversial.

This gesture has been compared by some to a Nazi salute, while others dismiss the comparison. The Anti-Defamation League mentioned on X that it viewed the gesture as “an awkward move fueled by enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute.”

Although Musk has yet to clarify the intent behind his action, he did reply to a supporter on X who claimed the “salute hoax” was merely part of a wider “dirty tricks campaign.”

“Honestly, they should come up with more clever tricks,” Musk responded in an X post. “The ‘everyone is Hitler’ tactic is so old.”

Here’s a summary of the situation regarding potential X bans in various subreddits.

Formula 1 moderators share their reasoning

Moderators of the Formula 1 subreddit pointed out that restrictions against certain types of content have been in place for “quite some time.”

“There’s no denying that Twitter has, over the years, dwindled in quality: with its login requirements, the plethora of bots, the preference for content from paid users, and the promotion of sensationalist posts,” stated r/Formula1. “We believe it’s time to explore how our subreddit functions without contributions from Twitter.”

Reddit, the platform hosting these discussions, clarified that it “does not impose a ban on X links – many X links still exist on Reddit.”

“Moreover, various Reddit communities also ban links to Reddit,” the statement continued. “Reddit is committed to freedom of speech and association.”

Additional subreddits follow r/Formula1’s lead in X ban

Other subreddits have recently adopted similar bans on X links. Two sports-oriented subreddits, r/LiverpoolFC and r/CHIBears, have seen users propose bans on X for similar reasons relating to differing values.

“I’ve noticed this in several other football club subreddits – seems like a clear decision, especially given our club’s ethos,” a user in r/LiverpoolFC mentioned, garnering nearly 40,000 upvotes. A comparable discussion has taken place in the r/CHIBears subreddit.

All three subreddits are among the “top 1%” of communities on Reddit, with only r/Formula1 exceeding one million users. r/LiverpoolFC has around 582,000 members, while r/CHIBears includes about 378,000 users.

Members from other subreddits, such as r/Chess and r/DnD (Dungeons and Dragons), have also made similar appeals to their moderators.

Contributors: YSL News’s Davis Winkie and Will Carless