First He Bought Twitter—Now Elon Musk's Trying to Control Reddit Too, Here's How

Elon Musk's ventures into social media always spark debate. Following his high-profile takeover of Twitter, he now has his sights on Reddit, prompting fresh questions about the platform's future.

Musk has been outspoken in his opposition to content moderation rules. When he bought Twitter in 2022, much of the focus was on how he would handle restrictions, particularly his support for reinstating banned right-wing accounts.

Musk's Private Influence

And now, Musk is trying to shape how online content is handled on platforms he doesn't even own. The Verge recently reported that Musk privately contacted Reddit CEO Steve Huffman to address content on the platform.

Following the Musk-Huffman exchange, Reddit removed a post concerning Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employees. The subreddit where it began, r/WhitePeopleTwitter, was also banned for three days. Leading up to his contact with the Reddit CEO, the X owner made a public outburst against the site.

Musk alleged that certain users had 'broken the law' by making inappropriate comments about DOGE employees. The Reddit comments Musk mentioned were part of the thread that Reddit later deleted following his outreach.

Reddit's Response

Even though Reddit had communicated its stance against 'violent content,' the fact that Musk himself complained to the CEO only recently came to light. Musk also labelled it 'insane' that specific subreddits blocked links to X. Whether he mentioned this in his communication with Huffman remains unknown. To date, no measures have been taken against subreddits that restrict X links.

Though some comments in the discussion might have been seen as threatening and removed independently, Musk's ability to privately ask CEOs of different companies for content changes is worrisome.

'We take any report of Reddit policy violations seriously, whether on Reddit directly or through other public or private means,' Reddit said in a statement provided to The Verge. 'We will evaluate content reported to us and take action if it violates.'

Musk's Defense Of DOGE

Even as the fallout from the Reddit thread concerning DOGE employees continued, Musk took to defending the company, asserting its actions would bring advantages to the underprivileged. His leadership of DOGE has put Musk under fire recently, as he faces claims of irresponsible actions in his campaign to curb US government waste.

In what some call a PR move, Musk sat down with Fox News to defend DOGE alongside his associates from the quasi-government group.

Social Security Under Scrutiny

Musk and his team addressed a key issue: the state of US Social Security and government programs they've been accused of endangering.

'What we're doing will help their benefits.. legitimate people, as a result of the work of @DOGE, will receive more Social Security, not less. I want to emphasise that.. Let the record show that I said this and it will be proven out to be true,' Musk said in a statement.

Musk also commented on government waste, saying, 'The sheer amount of waste and fraud in the government, it is astonishing. It's mind-boggling. We routinely encounter wastes of USD 1 billion or more, casually.'

However, many of DOGE's assertions have been examined closely, and the organisation has had to revise its data multiple times. Furthermore, DOGE has faced criticism for interfering with the work of various government departments and their processes, even drawing disapproval from members of Trump's own cabinet. Despite this, the US president has publicly supported Musk.

Originally published on IBTimes UK