In a bold move against Reddit, the moderators of the popular r/Gaming community chose to go dark for 48 hours. This decision came in response to Reddit’s plan to increase the price of its API for third-party developers. The moderators conducted a poll prior to the shutdown and found that users supported their decision. Soon after, over 8,000 other subreddits joined the protest, including r/Funny, r/Music, and r/Science. The fear among moderators is not just about the increased cost for developers, but also about the potential loss of essential tools needed to run their groups. These third-party apps help with organization, spam control, post flagging, member communication, browsing, and accessibility. Unlike platforms like Facebook and Twitter, Reddit relies heavily on independent developers and volunteers for its content generation and moderation. This protest has shed light on the strained relationship between Reddit’s leadership and its outside supporters. With Reddit being the sixth-most visited website in the U.S., a prolonged blackout could have significant ripple effects across the internet. Reddit defends the price increase, stating that it is necessary to compensate for the use of its data and to ensure user privacy, security, and compliance with regulations. However, some developers, like Christian Selig who runs the Apollo browsing app, discovered that they couldn’t afford the new pricing structure and had to shut down their apps. Despite the blackout, Reddit’s CEO, Steve Huffman, believes the protests will pass and that most subreddits will resume normal operations soon. He also expressed the intention to revise Reddit’s moderator policy to allow users to vote out moderators more easily. While the initial protest was planned for 48 hours, thousands of subreddits have decided to extend their blackouts indefinitely. Ultimately, the moderators hope for a positive resolution that benefits the future of the site and the people who have dedicated their time and support to it. As Reddit moves towards an IPO, these decisions become even more critical. The company’s financials remain undisclosed, but it’s clear that Reddit relies heavily on ad revenue, with quarterly ad revenue reaching $100 million for the first time in 2021.
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