Redditis reportedly threatening to remove moderators who take part in this week’s blackout. For years, Reddit has been a popular social media hub for users of any interest imaginable. Reddit’s gaming-based forums are especially popular, as fans often log on to discuss the newest releases,share various leaks and rumorsregarding upcoming titles, or even show off their latest content creations in games likeAnimal CrossingandThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
However, the once go-to spot for gaming news and discussion fell under an intense wave of controversy whenReddit announced that it would now charge usersfor access to its API, or Application Programming Interface. As this code is often helpful for independent moderators who wish to connect Reddit to third-party applications or add useful accessibility features to the site’s first-party app, this decision has been met with heavy backlash - and many communities have since set their subreddits to private in protest. Reddit itself seems unfazed by this, with CEO Mike Huffman recently assuring employees that the blackout will pass in time.
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A new screenshot from Twitter user and r/Apple moderator aaronp613 claims thatReddit is doubling down in its approachto the ongoing subreddit blackout - and might even start punishing moderators who participate. In a lengthy post on r/ModSupport, Reddit addresses the protest and claims that mods who continue to be involved are violating several of the website’s policies like the Moderator Code of Conduct that was implemented in 2022. Citing these rules, Reddit is allegedly threatening to remove and replace said mods as well as rearrange their modding teams if they don’t return to the site.
While some Twitter users are defending Reddit’s newest statement, others have remained steadfast intheir support of the latest Reddit protestand have even shared links explaining how to delete one’s Reddit account should the situation worsen. This is far from the first time Reddit moderators have gone dark in protest, as the r/Games subreddit briefly shut down on April Fool’s Day a few years ago in response to the toxic and offensive comments from some of its users. However, this latest protest has gone down as one of the biggest in the social media outlet’s history.
Whilesome subreddits have resumed regular operations, it doesn’t appear that Reddit’s recent blackout will stop anytime soon. Reddit has already caught much backlash with its response to the blackout, and this latest statement will likely make things worse.
