Dozens of subreddits will become private starting June 12 due to Reddit’s new policy
Dozens of subreddits and moderators are set to “go dark” starting June 12, i.e. become private, in response to Reddit’s API price hike. This was reported by Engadget.
Such well-known subreddits as Earthporn, LifeProTips, ReactionGIFs and Videos intend to join the campaign. According to the protestors, Reddit’s new policy will effectively block access to third-party clients. Some protesters are expected to regain public access within 48 hours, but some are isolating themselves until the situation with Reddit is resolved.
Participants of the campaign call on users to write messages to the platform administrators. At the same time, they ask them to remain restrained, polite, prudent and law-abiding, because rude behavior and threats will not win people over to their side.
We remind you that the Apollo application, which allows users to interact with Reddit on iOS, could face millions in fines over Reddit’s new paid API model. According to the developer of the application, Christian Selig, Reddit could charge Apollo about $20 million a year if it operates at its current scale.
The controversy arose after Reddit announced changes to its API policy in April. They impose a limit on the number of API requests made by third-party clients such as Apollo.
As you know, subreddits have blocked themselves from Reddit before as a sign of protest. For example, dozens of subreddits went private in 2021 to draw attention to the misinformation about Covid-19 that was being allowed to spread on the platform. After that, Reddit banned one community and quarantined 54 others. Although these actions were related to abuse, not controversial content.