Elon Musk, recognized for his stance against content moderation, is reportedly attempting to sway moderation choices on platforms he doesn’t own.

Upon acquiring Twitter (now X) in 2022, a primary goal of Musk’s was to reverse what he perceived as excessive content moderation, especially the banning of right-leaning accounts he endorsed. However, his ambition to influence online dialogue seems to have expanded beyond his own platform.

As per a recent report from The Verge, Musk reached out to Reddit CEO Steve Huffman to express concerns regarding content on Reddit. Following this communication, Reddit removed a thread that discussed employees of DOGE, a cryptocurrency frequently advocated by Musk. Furthermore, the subreddit hosting the thread—r/WhitePeopleTwitter—was temporarily suspended for a period of 72 hours.

Before contacting Huffman, Musk had publicly criticized Reddit, claiming that certain users had “broken the law” through inappropriate comments about DOGE employees. These remarks seemingly belonged to the now-removed thread.

While Reddit has previously indicated that it takes action against content featuring threats or promoting violence, it has not been disclosed until now that Musk had directly communicated with the company’s leadership to lodge a complaint.

Musk has also expressed irritation concerning Reddit’s rules on links to X, deeming it “insane” that certain subreddits have prohibited users from sharing links to his platform. It remains unclear whether this matter was included in his private dialogue with Huffman. Currently, Reddit has not taken steps against subreddits that limit X links.

Although some of the eliminated content may have breached Reddit’s policies independently of Musk’s involvement, the scenario raises apprehensions about the power high-profile figures can wield over content moderation choices on platforms they do not manage.

In a statement to The Verge, Reddit remarked: “We take any report of Reddit policy violations seriously, whether on Reddit directly or through other public or private means. We will evaluate content reported to us and take action if it violates.”