Elon Musk reportedly pressured Reddit CEO Steve Huffman on content moderation
Elon Musk privately urged Reddit CEO Steve Huffman to act against subreddits restricting X links and posts targeting Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employees, according to The Verge. The messages came after Musk publicly criticised Reddit on X, calling it “insane” that certain subreddits blocked links to his platform. He also claimed that Reddit users advocating violence against DOGE staff had “broken the law.” Shortly after their exchange, Reddit imposed a 72-hour ban on the WhitePeopleTwitter subreddit, citing a “prevalence of violent content.” The thread Musk highlighted on X was also deleted, along with hundreds of comments, including those that did not promote violence. Reddit spokesperson Gina Antonini stated: “We take any report of Reddit policy violations seriously, whether on Reddit directly or through other public or private means. We will evaluate content reported to us and take action if violating.” Musk did not respond to the Verge's requests for comment. The revelation of Musk’s private outreach quickly spread among Reddit moderators, who discussed it in a Discord chat. Screenshots from the conversation show some expressing frustration over Musk’s influence. “He should not be able to influence Reddit, but if what he calls out is death threats, then of course they need to come down,” one moderator wrote. Others voiced concerns over his ability to pressure both public and private platforms. Since acquiring Twitter, Musk has previously restricted links to competing social media sites, including a ban on certain external URLs last month. While Reddit has not yet intervened in moderator-led decisions to block X links, the incident raises questions about external influence on content moderation policies.
Elon Musk privately urged Reddit CEO Steve Huffman to act against subreddits restricting X links and posts targeting Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employees, according to The Verge. The messages came after Musk publicly criticised Reddit on X, calling it “insane” that certain subreddits blocked links to his platform. He also claimed that Reddit users advocating violence against DOGE staff had “broken the law.” Shortly after their exchange, Reddit imposed a 72-hour ban on the WhitePeopleTwitter subreddit, citing a “prevalence of violent content.” The thread Musk highlighted on X was also deleted, along with hundreds of comments, including those that did not promote violence. Reddit spokesperson Gina Antonini stated: “We take any report of Reddit policy violations seriously, whether on Reddit directly or through other public or private means. We will evaluate content reported to us and take action if violating.” Musk did not respond to the Verge's requests for comment. The revelation of Musk’s private outreach quickly spread among Reddit moderators, who discussed it in a Discord chat. Screenshots from the conversation show some expressing frustration over Musk’s influence. “He should not be able to influence Reddit, but if what he calls out is death threats, then of course they need to come down,” one moderator wrote. Others voiced concerns over his ability to pressure both public and private platforms. Since acquiring Twitter, Musk has previously restricted links to competing social media sites, including a ban on certain external URLs last month. While Reddit has not yet intervened in moderator-led decisions to block X links, the incident raises questions about external influence on content moderation policies.