Reddit cracks down on communities after Elon Musk cites violent threats against his employees

Reddit temporarily banned the r/WhitePeopleTwitter subreddit and removed r/IsElonDeadYet after Elon Musk claimed that comments made by users violated the law.

Reddit has taken action against two of its communities following a legal complaint by X owner Elon Musk. The platform temporarily banned r/WhitePeopleTwitter for 72 hours and permanently removed r/IsElonDeadYet after Musk accused users of making unlawful comments about his employees.

Elon Musk fires back after Reddit users call for public execution of DOGE staff.(AFP)

The controversy began when users on r/WhitePeopleTwitter posted comments calling for violence against members of the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). These posts came in response to reports that some Doge staff had been granted access to sensitive personal information of millions of Americans.

Musk, who has frequently positioned himself as a defender of free speech, shared a post on X highlighting the comments, stating, “they have broken the law.” Soon after, Reddit took action by banning the subreddit.

Reddit declined to comment on the specific case but pointed to a public post explaining its decision. “Over the last few days, we’ve seen an increase in content in several communities that violate Reddit Rules,” the statement read. “Debate and dissent are welcome on Reddit – threats and doxing are not.”

Despite Musk’s previous criticism of legal action over online speech, he has now taken a strong stance against comments targeting Doge employees. Imran Ahmed, head of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), called Musk’s position ironic. “It is always one rule for Elon, another rule for everyone else,” he said. “Oh, he’s about freedom alright – the freedom to do whatever he wants, no matter the cost to people, their families, and the fundamentals of democracy.”

Musk previously sued the CCDH in 2023 over claims that it had unlawfully accessed data from X to report an increase in hate speech on the platform. However, a U.S. judge dismissed the case in 2024.

Rising tensions between Musk and Reddit users

Tensions between Musk and Reddit communities have escalated in recent weeks. More than 100 subreddits banned users from posting links to X in protest against Musk’s controversial arm gesture at a rally celebrating Donald Trump’s return to office. The billionaire twice extended his arm straight while thanking the crowd for “making it happen.” Many, including historians, claimed the gesture resembled a Nazi salute.