Elon Musk recently reached out to Reddit CEO Steve Huffman following posts on the subreddit r/WhitePeopleTwitter that made threats against the employees of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This direct communication seemed to have an immediate impact, as the subreddit was banned for 72 hours shortly thereafter, and the troubling posts were deleted from the platform. Additionally, hundreds of other posts that merely criticized Musk were also removed, stirring up some controversy among moderators regarding the extent of Musk’s influence over Reddit. The conflict between Musk and Reddit isn’t new.
Earlier this year, Musk publicly criticized the platform after several subreddits banned mentions of his social media outlet, which is now known as X. The tension escalated when Musk accused Reddit users of illegal behavior for their posts directed at DOGE employees, which appears to have prompted his private messages to Huffman. Specific details of their exchange remain undisclosed, but less than a day after Musk reached out, Reddit announced the ban on r/WhitePeopleTwitter, citing a “prevalence of violent content.” In response to inquiries about the interaction between Musk and Huffman, Reddit issued a statement affirming their commitment to addressing any reported policy violations, whether through public or private channels.
However, Musk did not respond to requests for comment regarding the matter. The incident has sparked debate among Reddit moderators, many of whom discussed the interaction on Discord. While some viewed it as an overreach of power, others argued that Reddit was justified in removing violent posts. This incident illustrates a complicated dynamic between tech leaders and their respective user bases, raising concerns about the degree of influence that private communications between such figures can wield over platform governance.
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