Reddit’s Dark Moment: Communities Take Action to Voice Discontent with Changes
Reddit Communities Stage Blackout in Protest against Site Changes
Thousands of Reddit communities have gone dark in a protest by users who are unhappy with the direction in which the site is being run. Reddit recently introduced controversial charges for developers of third-party apps used to browse the platform. In response, moderators of some of the largest subreddits made their communities private for 48 hours. Over 7,000 subreddits participated in the blackout, affecting a significant portion of Reddit’s user base. While Reddit relies on community moderation, the introduction of charges has sparked backlash from users and moderators alike.
Reddit operates on a system of subreddits, which are dedicated forums for specific interests where users gather to discuss various topics. Unlike other platforms, users on Reddit typically join multiple subreddits and see posts from these communities in their feed. The site heavily depends on unpaid moderators to ensure subreddit functionality, and these moderators invest their time in preventing off-topic comments, banned content, and illegal material from appearing.
However, Reddit also offers the advantage of not charging hosting fees for individuals who wish to create their own communities based on specific interests. Reddit CEO Steve Huffman addressed the blackout, acknowledging the need for Reddit to be a self-sustaining business while respecting the actions taken by users and communities to voice their concerns.
The blackout affected a total of 3,489 subreddits, including some of the most popular communities such as r/gaming, r/aww, r/Music, r/todayilearned, and r/pics, which collectively have memberships exceeding 30 million users. Moderators view the protest as a demonstration of strength in numbers, believing that a collective action has more impact than an isolated subreddit going private. They emphasize the voluntary nature of their position and the crucial role they play in running the site.
The introduction of charges by Reddit has particularly affected third-party apps such as Apollo, Reddit is Fun, Sync, and ReddPlanet, which provided users with alternative ways to access Reddit on mobile devices. These apps have announced their closure due to the new API pricing imposed by Reddit. Critics argue that the charges are excessive, with developers claiming it would cost millions of dollars to continue operating their apps.
A Reddit spokesperson defended the charges, stating that the platform spends significant amounts on hosting fees and needs fair compensation to support third-party apps. They clarified that not all third-party apps would require paid access, and Reddit would exempt apps that improve platform accessibility from charges.
While the blackout is intended to last 48 hours, some communities are considering extending it or maintaining restricted access until Reddit reverses its policy changes. Certain subreddits, like r/Music, have even declared that they will remain inaccessible indefinitely until the policy is reversed. The protest reflects the discontent among moderators and users, questioning whether Reddit will prioritize its communities and address the concerns raised during the blackout.
