48-hour Reddit user blackout kicks off, affecting 8K subreddits
Nearly 8,000 subreddit forums are going dark for 48 hours in protest of Reddit’s new pricing policy, which will require APIs to foot the bill for operating content from the discussion-based app. The new policy implements a paid model for Reddit’s third-party apps that allow monthly users to personalise their Reddit experience and ensure that their data is not collected or shared. Reddit’s application programming interface (API) allows third parties like Apollo to display the discussion site’s content and enhance the user experience. However, as of July 1, the API itself will need to pay the costs, which CEO Steve Huffman claims is necessary to prevent Reddit giving away all its “valuable” data for free.
According to a post on r/ModCoord, 7,807 forums are participating in the two-day blackout as of Monday morning, which affects a combined 2.8 billion Reddit users and 28,464 moderators. The number of participating subreddits and moderators is still rising. As a result, sub-reddit moderators will be turning their respective forums to “private”. Ultra-popular subreddit forums r/Funny and r/Gaming, which have 40 million and 30 million subscribers, respectively, will take part in the protest. The community r/Music, meanwhile, has told its more than 30 million subscribers that the subreddit will be “closed indefinitely for Reddit API policy change protest”. The moderators, who work as unpaid volunteers, have reported that the pricing policy updates will adversely affect the site’s accessibility for blind users. Additionally, Reddit’s policy on accessing NSFW (not safe for work) content is severely restricted on APIs due to pressure from regulators.
The mods especially rely on APIs like Apollo to do moderation tasks, which include setting community rules, ensuring that sub-reddits remain on topic, and banning users who violate Reddit’s content policy. Reddit relies heavily on these moderators as part of its business model; these volunteers do a reported $3.4 million worth of unpaid labour to keep Reddit up and running. However, competitors like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pay employees a salary to moderate content on the platform.
FAQs:
What is an API?
An API, or application programming interface, is a set of protocols and programming tools used for building software and applications.
What does Reddit’s new policy implement?
The new policy implements a paid model for Reddit’s third-party apps that allow monthly users to personalise their Reddit experience and ensure that their data is not collected or shared.
How many subreddit forums are affected by the 48-hour blackout?
As of Monday, nearly 8,000 subreddit forums are going dark for 48 hours in protest of Reddit’s new pricing policy.
What are moderators protesting?
The moderators, who work as unpaid volunteers, have reported that the pricing policy updates will adversely affect the site’s accessibility for blind users. Additionally, Reddit’s policy on accessing NSFW (not safe for work) content is severely restricted on APIs due to pressure from regulators.
How much unpaid labour do moderators do on Reddit?
The volunteers reportedly do a total of $3.4 million worth of unpaid labour to keep the site running, according to New Scientist.
Do other competitors pay their moderators a salary?
Yes, competitors like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pay employees a salary to moderate content on the platform.
8K subreddits suffer from a 48-hour blackout initiated by Reddit users.
Nearly 8,000 subreddit forums on Reddit, with a combined membership of 2.8 billion users and 28,464 moderators, will be offline for 48 hours in protest of the site’s new third-party app pricing policy. The policy requires third-party apps, including Apollo, to pay to operate and upgrade Reddit’s APIs instead of the site footing the bill for these costs. While Reddit’s CEO Steve Huffman has defended the move to safeguard data, developers such as Apollo’s Christian Selig have revealed it will be difficult to manage the new costs. Responding to the planned shutdowns, Huffman said Reddit needed to “provide an open accessible place for people to find community and belonging” and emphasised that moderators were integral to the site’s continued success.