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.

More than 100 Reddit communities have banned users from posting links to X in protest at owner Elon Musk's controversial arm gesture at a rally celebrating Donald Trump's return to office. The billionaire twice extended his arm out straight as he thanked the crowd for "making it happen."

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.

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.

The value of Elon Musk's X has plunged almost 80 percent since he bought it in 2022. Now, his actions have led social media users to try to make the company hurt even more. A large swath of Reddit communities,

Reddit communities with millions of subscribers lead charge as social media landscape faces period of unprecedented turbulence

In the fallout of Elon Musk’s baffling appearance during President Donald Trump’s inauguration, a curious new front in the ongoing online culture war has emerged: a push by Reddit sports mods and users to ban links to X (formerly known as Twitter).

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.