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 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.

Dozens of Reddit's communities, or subreddits, have discussed or enacted bans on links to Elon Musk's X in response to Musk's gestures at a Trump inaugural event that many interpreted as a Nazi salute.

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.

Dozens of Reddit communities have banned links to social network X following the inauguration of Donald Trump, during which Elon Musk made a controversial gesture which some have compared to a “Nazi-style salute”.

The Roman salute is conditionally allowed in Italy and outright banned in Germany. German chancellor Olaf Scholz responded to Musk's gesture by saying, "We have the freedom of speech in Europe and in Germany," he said, "what we do not accept is if this is supporting extreme right positions."

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.