TFor those unfamiliar with Reddit, the recent news that a large portion of the platform has gone dark may not seem significant. However, as one of the most visited websites in the world, its fate holds great importance.
The blackout stems from a dispute between Reddit’s co-founder and CEO, Steve Huffman, and the volunteers who moderate its content through special apps. These volunteers were originally granted free access to the site to facilitate easier use. Recently, Huffman decided to charge for this access, which sparked protests from the moderators.
Around 9,000 subreddits, or message boards, responded to the call for a protest, with thousands remaining restricted or private. Even subreddits with over 20 million subscribers each have joined the protest, highlighting the challenge Huffman faces. Given his previous experience dealing with a moderator insurrection in 2015, it’s unlikely he didn’t anticipate this reaction.
This incident follows a trend of tech leaders seeking to monetize platforms built on user engagement, often without a solid financial foundation. Elon Musk’s decisions as the new owner of Twitter, including staff layoffs and the introduction of fees for verified accounts, caused outrage and a significant drop in the company’s value. Similar battles have occurred outside of social media, such as with the owners of Dungeons & Dragons attempting to make changes to their licensing agreements, leading to community uproar and subsequent retreat.
Reddit plans to go public later this year. Huffman’s current gamble is whether the platform is too big and diverse to fail, and whether it can withstand the migration of protesting users to other sites. While he may succeed, history has shown that alienating a dedicated fanbase can lead to failure in the online world.
Huffman’s argument that the move is to prevent profiteering from the company’s data is misleading, as it was the users who created the data in the first place.
Interestingly, it is ironic that new generations of gamers and online users are fighting to protect a principle that artist Richard Serra dismissed in 1973 – the idea that “if something is free, you’re the product.” Meanwhile, tech leaders are attempting to capitalize on the concept of open access by introducing paywalls, essentially making users pay for their own exploitation. Reddit’s current power struggle serves as a wake-up call for everyone.
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