A massive wave of discontent is sweeping across Reddit as thousands of communities prepare to go offline on Monday in a protest against the platform’s management practices. The controversy stems from Reddit’s introduction of contentious charges for developers of third-party apps, which are widely used to browse the social media site. In response, moderators of some of Reddit’s largest subreddits have announced a 48-hour blackout, rendering nearly 3,500 subreddits inaccessible.
Subreddits are individual forums within the Reddit platform where communities gather to discuss specific interests. Reddit users, known as Redditors, actively participate in various subreddits to engage with like-minded individuals and consume content relevant to their interests. Unlike other social media platforms, Reddit heavily relies on community moderation. While the website has a few paid administrators, it predominantly operates with tens of thousands of unpaid moderators who work diligently to maintain the site’s functionality.
The backlash against Reddit’s recent actions revolves around the platform’s decision to impose charges on third-party app developers. This move has sparked criticism, prompting moderators to take a stand and restrict access to their communities. Five of the top ten most popular communities on Reddit, including r/gaming, r/aww, r/Music, r/todayilearned, and r/pics, boasting memberships of over 30 million users each, will participate in the blackout.
One moderator of a prominent subreddit explained the motivation behind the protest, emphasizing the power of collective action. They expressed that while Reddit might intervene if a single subreddit went private, the impact is significantly amplified when half the website goes dark. Moderators want to underscore the essential role they play in maintaining Reddit and send a clear message by disrupting the platform’s traffic.
The blackout primarily aims to draw attention to the fact that moderators are vital to the site’s operations. They highlight that their volunteer position is critical, as they invest substantial time and effort without financial compensation. The moderators believe that by orchestrating this mass protest, they can demonstrate to Reddit administrators the overwhelming opposition among both moderators and users to the proposed changes.
As “the front page of the internet,” Reddit has an official app, but it was developed many years after the website’s establishment. As a result, third-party apps such as Apollo, Reddit is Fun, Sync, and ReddPlanet emerged to enable users to access the platform on mobile devices. However, Reddit’s recent implementation of charges for third-party app developers has caused significant disruption. Developers of all four apps mentioned above have announced their decision to shut down due to the new API pricing structure.
Critics argue that Reddit’s charges are exorbitant, with the developer of Apollo, Christian Selig, estimating that it would cost him $20 million (£15.9 million) to continue operating the app. In response, a Reddit spokesperson defended the pricing, stating that Apollo is notably less efficient than other third-party apps. They asserted that the charges are based on usage levels comparable to Reddit’s own costs, as the platform incurs significant hosting fees. The spokesperson clarified that not all third-party apps would require paid access and reiterated that Reddit’s pricing aims to support fair compensation for its services.
Despite ongoing discussions between moderators and Reddit administrators, the blackout may continue until Reddit reverses its policy changes. Some communities, such as r/Music with its 32 million members, have announced an indefinite blackout until Reddit addresses their concerns. The situation remains dynamic, as different moderators and communities have varying perspectives and plans for their subreddits. However, given recent interactions with Reddit administrators, the moderator interviewed expressed skepticism about any potential reversal of the changes.
As the blackout unfolds, Reddit finds itself in a contentious battle with its own users and moderators. The outcome of this protest will undoubtedly have far-reaching implications for the future of the platform and its relationship with the vibrant communities that have helped define it.