Elon Musk’s stance on content moderation has become increasingly controversial. Following his acquisition of Twitter in 2022, one of Musk’s primary motivations was to reshape content moderation policies, particularly those affecting right-wing accounts.
Recently, Musk seems to be extending his influence over content decisions on social media platforms beyond his ownership.
A recent report indicates that Musk has reached out to the CEO of Reddit regarding the management of content on the platform.
Shortly after the communication between Musk and the Reddit CEO, a thread discussing DOGE employees was deleted, and the subreddit where it originated, r/WhitePeopleTwitter, was suspended for 72 hours.
Prior to this private correspondence, Musk publicly criticized Reddit, alleging that some users had “broken the law” by making inappropriate comments about DOGE employees. These comments were associated with the content that was ultimately removed following Musk’s outreach.
While Reddit has acknowledged its commitment to combating “violent content,” it has now become apparent that Musk has actively engaged with the platform’s leadership to express his concerns.
Musk has also voiced his frustration over some subreddits prohibiting links to Twitter, labeling the restrictions as “insane.” It remains unclear if this particular issue was discussed in his messages to the Reddit CEO. As of now, there have been no actions taken against subreddits that restrict links to Twitter.
Despite the nature of some comments in the deleted thread that could have been interpreted as threatening, the ability of Musk to personally request content modifications raises significant concerns about the influence of private individuals on third-party platforms.
Reddit responded to inquiries regarding these actions, stating, “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 it violates.”
