Reddit users erupted in outrage following reports that Elon Musk privately contacted Reddit CEO Steve Huffman to remove content critical of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employees.
According to media reports on Thursday, Musk's intervention allegedly led Reddit to remove a specific thread on r/WhitePeopleTwitter and impose a 72-hour suspension on the community for what the platform called a "prevalence of violent content."
The incident has sparked heated debate about content moderation and free speech principles. Users across major Reddit communities expressed frustration at what many viewed as selective enforcement of rules, particularly given Musk's previous advocacy for unrestricted expression on social media platforms.
"Mr. free speech himself that lets all sorts of toxic content all over Twitter has a problem with Reddit?" wrote one user in a highly-upvoted comment, highlighting perceived inconsistencies in Musk's stance on content moderation.
Prior to the removal, Musk had publicly accused Reddit users on X (formerly Twitter) of "breaking laws" through their posts about DOGE employees. He claimed some users were engaging in "doxxing" by revealing private information about staff members.
A Reddit spokesperson stated that the platform evaluates all policy violation reports seriously, whether received through public or private channels. However, they did not confirm if Musk's alleged request directly influenced their decision to suspend the subreddit.
The controversy has generated substantial discussion across Reddit, with posts about the incident receiving thousands of upvotes on major subreddits including r/Fauxmoi and r/inthenews.
The r/WhitePeopleTwitter subreddit has since been reinstated after serving its suspension period. Neither Musk nor Huffman has offered detailed public comments addressing the controversy.