Fair game Reddit wont interfere with users revolting against X with subreddit bans Hundreds of Reddit communities are currently considering disallowing X. Scharon Harding Jan 22, 2025 3:59 pm | 85 Credit: Silas Stein/Getty Credit: Silas Stein/Getty Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreReddit is staying out of the current revolt against social media website X and, to a lesser degree, Meta, on its platform.Since Tuesday, hundreds of subreddits have discussed and/or implemented bans against the site formerly called Twitter, as reported by 404 Media. Dozens of subreddits have already agreed to disallow the sharing of any links to X, with moderators (volunteer Reddit users) agreeing to enforce the bans.The trend seemed to start among subreddits focused on sports-related topics, like the subreddits for the NFL, the Vancouver Canucks NHL team, and the Liverpool Football Club, as reported by Mashable. However, as of today, subreddits of various topics are discussing X bans. Reddit users in support of X bans like the one instituted by r/londonontario have pointed to various reasoning, including not being able to see tweet links without having an X account, Elon Musk appearing to make a Nazi salute at the presidential inauguration on Monday (as cited by r/Christianitys and r/newjersey's bans, for example), and general dislike for Musk and/or how he runs X.Yesterday, the mods of r/Seahawks, for example, enacted a rule that bans sharing links to X but allows X videos that aren't AI-generated, per a post from one of the subreddits moderators yesterday: we feel that social media platform owners and investors have a responsibility to remain out of the political, social and economic media forum for the benefit and neutrality of they're [sic] business and services they provide. The internet has never been a place of free speech and it never will be. We are all accountable for things we do and say. We would hope you all understand the dynamics of this decision and stay to talk Seahawks football.Reddit wont interfereArs Technica reached out to Reddit for a response to X bans and whether such bans could be interpreted as breaking any of Reddits rules. Reddit users will recall that when moderators were recently viewed by Reddit as breaking Reddit rules at scale (by making subreddits read-only or private in protest of Reddits new API access rules and pricing), Reddit responded by removing moderators that refused to re-open protesting subreddits. This time, though, moderators' actions are aboveboard.A Reddit spokesperson told Ars that decisions to ban or not ban X links are user-driven. Subreddit members are allowed to suggest and institute subredditrules, they added.Notably, many Reddit communities also prohibit Reddit links, the Reddit representative pointed out. They noted that Reddit as a company doesnt currently have any ban on links to X.A ban against links to an entire platform isnt outside of the ordinary for Reddit. Numerous subreddits ban social media links, Reddits spokesperson said. r/EarthPorn, a subreddit for landscape photography, for example, doesnt allow website links because all posts must be static images, per the subreddits official rules. r/AskReddit, meanwhile, only allows for questions asked in the title of a Reddit post and doesnt allow for use of the text box, including for sharing links.Reddit has a longstanding commitment to freedom of speech and freedom of association, Reddits spokesperson said. They added that any person is free to make or moderate their own community. Those unsatisfied with a forum about Seahawks football that doesnt have X links could feel free to make their own subreddit. Although, some of the subreddits considering X bans, like r/MadeMeSmile, already have millions of followers.Meta bans also under discussionAs 404 Media noted, some Redditors are also pushing to block content from Facebook, Instagram, and other Meta properties in response to new Donald Trump-friendly policies instituted by owner Mark Zuckerberg, like Meta killing diversity programs and axing third-party fact-checkers.The r/antiwork subreddit, which has 2.9 million members, said today that its banning content from X, as well as all Meta platforms, due to Metas new content policy allegedly openly encouraging bigotry. It also banned platforms affiliated with the CCP, [or the Chinese Communist Party], such as TikTok and Rednote."The Reddit movements reflect a polarized society set into intense discourse amid the presidential election and inauguration of Trump, the growing role of Musk in the US government, and related policies. Since Reddit is a platform moderated by volunteer users, Redditors will continue to seek control and have much say over how conversations flow on their favorite subreddits.At this early stage, we don't know if Redditors' efforts will have any significant impact on X, Facebook, Instagram, or its owners, which already have deep relationships with notable parties and whose sites have become information resources that people rely on. The NFL, for instance, has content deals with X and Reddit and uses Threads. The Verge reported today that NFL teams arent allowed to have Bluesky accounts, with the NFL having already told the Patriots team to take down its Bluesky account. Many first responder entities rely on X for sharing critical information, too.Advance Publications, which owns Ars Technica parent Cond Nast, is the largest shareholder in Reddit.Scharon HardingSenior Technology ReporterScharon HardingSenior Technology Reporter Scharon is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica writing news, reviews, and analysis on consumer gadgets and services. She's been reporting on technology for over 10 years, with bylines at Toms Hardware, Channelnomics, and CRN UK. 85 Comments