Reddit communities go dark in protest

Thousands of Reddit communities have gone dark in protest of the site’s controversial charges for third-party app developers. Moderators of some of the largest subreddits made their communities private for 48 hours, resulting in over 7,000 subreddits shutting down on Monday.

Reddit heavily relies on community moderation, with tens of thousands of unpaid moderators dedicated to keeping the platform functional. While moderators spend considerable time ensuring their subreddits stay on-topic and free from banned or illegal content, Reddit doesn’t charge any hosting fees for individuals to create their own interest-based communities.

In response to the blackout, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman acknowledged the users’ actions and expressed the need for Reddit to be a self-sustaining business. Huffman also confirmed that explicit content would remain on the site but outlined limitations on its accessibility through third-party apps.

The protest includes a total of 3,489 subreddits, including popular communities like r/gaming, r/aww, r/Music, r/todayilearned, and r/pics, each with over 30 million members. Moderators emphasize the strength in numbers, stating that if it were just a single subreddit going private, Reddit might intervene. However, with such a widespread blackout, they hope to send a powerful message about the reliance on moderators and the negative impact of the proposed changes.

The charges imposed by Reddit affect third-party apps that allow users to access the platform on mobile devices. Developers of popular apps like Apollo, Reddit is Fun, Sync, and ReddPlanet have announced they will shut down due to the new API pricing. These charges have faced criticism for being exorbitant, with developers claiming they would cost millions of dollars to continue operating their apps.

Reddit defends the charges, stating that it needs fair compensation to support third-party apps, as it spends significant funds on hosting fees. A Reddit spokesperson clarified that not all apps would require paid access and that pricing is based on usage levels comparable to their own costs.

While some communities may restrict access or extend the blackout beyond the initial 48 hours, others, such as r/Music, have stated that their subreddit will remain indefinitely inaccessible until Reddit reverses its policy. The future of the protest and the response from Reddit administrators remain uncertain, as moderators and users express their overwhelming opposition to the changes.