Musk’s gesture has received mixed reactions from politicians and academics, with some likening it to a Nazi salute and others saying it was an accidental action made in the heat of his victory speech.

Reddit communities, including some with millions of followers, have instituted bans on links to X, formerly known as Twitter, amid the uproar surrounding Elon Musk’s hand gesture during a recent inauguration event. A Reddit spokesperson clarified that these bans are initiated at the user-level and are not platform-enforced.

Reddit communities from r/NBA to r/Christianity say they won’t allow links to the platform after Elon Musk’s gesture, which some interpreted as a Nazi-style salute.

In reaction to hand gestures Elon Musk made at a post-inauguration rally that many said resembled a Nazi salute, Reddit moderators took swift action.

A boycott of links to Mr. Musk’s social media platform spread on Reddit this week, after he made a gesture that some likened to a Nazi salute. Others worried about censorship.

The cascade of link bans on Reddit came after Musk made a hand gesture at a Monday rally that many compared to a Nazi salute.

After Musk sparked a wave of ire with back-to-back Nazi salutes at an Inauguration Day event in Washington, D.C., on Monday, the bans quickly swept across Reddit. Such a move is not unheard of — moderators can ban links to specific sites, meaning that posts and comments including X links are easy to block.

A ban on links to X content began on Reddit sports forums and has spread to numerous other sub-Reddits with more discussing the move.