Subreddit communities are banning the use of links from X after Donald Trump’s billionaire bestie Elon Musk threw out two Nazi salutes during the indoor inaugural parade.
Musk had the world ablaze with furor and controversy once again after throwing out his arm in a “Sieg Heil” as he thanked the crowd for “making it happen.”
Musk put his hand on his chest before sticking it straight forward in front of him, a clear Nazi salute.
While some sources, such as the Anti-Defamation League, dismissively called it an “awkward” hand gesture, others, including a popular German newspaper, left no room for ambiguity.
The weekly paper Die Zeit titled a piece “Ein Hitlergruß ist ein Hitlergruß ist ein Hitlergruß,” which translates to “A Hitler salute is a Hitler salute.”
And though many can’t seem to agree on whether or not a grown man who owns one of the largest social media companies is aware of what a “Sieg Heil” is, hundreds of moderators behind Subreddit groups aren’t fooled by Musk’s deflection.
Almost immediately, communities across Reddit began banning the use of X links, starting with popular sports subreddits such as r/NBA and r/NFL, both of which include at least 10 million people. Despite their names, these Subreddits are not officially affiliated with the sports giants.
According to the BBC, more than 100 Subreddits have banned the use of X links since Musk’s Nazi salutes.
Cartoon by Clay Jones
“This is something that we’ve been contemplating for a little while now,” the moderator of the Subreddit r/pcgaming wrote. “X has become increasingly hateful, toxic and less and less moderated. This has, in turn, made us less comfortable with letting our subreddit link it to other people. Not to mention the distasteful things Elon Musk has done recently.”
Groups such as these cite not only Musk’s egregious behavior and the toxicity coming out of his social media platform, but they have also considered the usability of posting links to X—which now requires users to have an account to view.
As communities on Reddit distance themselves from the increasingly volatile and pro-white nationalist platform, journalists and companies alike are also making their exodus from the app.
Subreddits pertaining to PC gaming might come as a personal blow to Musk, who admitted to paying gamers to help him win video games. While he juggles arguing over public policy and immigration, Musk also seems to be spending time trying to defend his self-imposed reputation as a “living god of video games.”
It might be hard to defend his title when no one is around to listen.
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