Major Reddit subreddits unite in 'going dark' protest against threats to third-party apps
In a powerful display of solidarity, several major subreddits on the renowned social media platform Reddit have joined forces in a coordinated protest known as 'going dark.' The purpose of this united action is to strongly oppose the perceived threats posed to third-party apps by recent changes and
In a significant display of protest, numerous subreddits and moderators on the popular social media platform Reddit are taking a united stand against the recent API pricing changes announced by the company. The changes have raised concerns that they could potentially lead to the shutdown of many third-party clients. Notably, several well-known subreddits, including r/aww, r/video, r/music, r/creepy, and r/bestof, have announced their participation in a coordinated blackout scheduled for June 12 as a means of expressing their strong opposition to Reddit's decision.
In addition, a collective effort by moderators on a dedicated subreddit has resulted in an open letter addressed to Reddit, highlighting the anticipated negative impact of these changes on their ability to effectively manage their communities. The unified actions by both subreddits and moderators aim to convey their concerns and urge Reddit to reconsider its course of action.
Major Reddit subreddits unite in 'going dark' protest against threats to third-party apps
As per a post made on the newly created subreddit r/Save3rdPartyApps, a significant number of subreddits have announced plans to go dark for a period of 48 hours. This decision implies that these communities will temporarily cease all activity during that time.
The post further highlights that unless the underlying issue is satisfactorily resolved, certain communities may face the possibility of permanent closure. The lack of adequate moderation tools within the official Reddit app is also mentioned as a concern, as the absence of third-party apps offering such functionalities would impede moderators from effectively carrying out their responsibilities.
The sentiment expressed in the open letter posted on the subreddit r/ModCoord resonates with the concerns mentioned earlier.
“Many of us rely on third-party apps to manage our communities effectively. Let’s just rip the band-aid right off: in many cases, these apps offer superior mod tools, customization, streamlined interfaces, and other quality-of-life improvements that the official app does not offer. The potential loss of these services due to the pricing change would significantly impact our ability to moderate efficiently, thus negatively affecting the experience for users in our communities and for us as mods and users ourselves,” the letter says.
The open letter from the moderators also raises concerns regarding Reddit's recently announced rules in April, which would restrict access to NSFW (Not Safe for Work) content through the API. Moderators argue that this change could potentially disrupt the functionality of bots designed to filter such content, rendering them ineffective.
"$20 million per year to sustain the operation"
In a related development, Christian Selig, the developer of the iOS Reddit client Apollo, shared details about his conversation with Reddit. Selig revealed that Reddit's API pricing changes would result in an exorbitant cost of nearly $20 million per year to sustain the operation of his app.
This substantial financial burden highlights the significant impact these changes would have on third-party app developers, potentially making it economically unfeasible to continue providing their services.
