Reddit's New Policy: A Shift in Power Over Protests

Key Takeaways

• Reddit has made a notable change to its policies, limiting moderators' ability to quickly switch a subreddit from public to private. This decision is likely to leave protests on the platform feeling less impactful.

• In response to last year's uproar over API pricing, users organized protests that significantly disrupted the site. Now, Reddit has decided to tighten its grip on community management.

• Moderators can no longer make their subreddits private or label them as not safe for work (NSFW) without first getting the green light from Reddit’s admins. This means that any request for such changes must be submitted and approved by the staff, affecting all types of communities.

Many users see this move as a way to stifle dissent, making it harder for them to rally together like they did last year against the API price hikes. When a subreddit goes private, it becomes less visible and accessible to casual viewers, complicating the user experience.

Additionally, going private can hurt a subreddit’s visibility on Google searches. Last year’s protests led to many third-party Reddit apps shutting down, as moderators restricted access by making their content private and flooding the platform with NSFW images and memes.

During those protests, Reddit took action by removing some moderators until things calmed down. However, they hinted that such protests could negatively impact their finances and emphasized that those actions went against the site’s rules. Reddit blends elements of social media, message boards, and news aggregation, making this a complex issue.

Reddit's Stance: Protecting the Platform

Fast forward a year, and Reddit is operating normally again. However, it seems the leadership feels this new policy is necessary to prevent future protests and maintain control over the platform.

Laura Nestler, Reddit’s VP of Community (who goes by Go_JasonWaterfalls), expressed that “We have a responsibility to protect Reddit and ensure its long-term health. We cannot allow actions that deliberately cause harm.”

In her announcement on r/modnews, she explained that the instant changes to subreddits were being misused as tools for protest, leading to this new policy.

Reddit did consult its Mod Council, which includes about 160 moderators. Reactions were mixed; many understood the reasoning behind the change but felt it was a direct response to past protests—an attempt to reclaim power from users.

To ease some concerns, Reddit has promised to review requests for making communities private or NSFW within 24 hours. Newer subreddits with fewer than 30 days of existence or under 5,000 members will automatically be approved for such changes.

If a community needs to temporarily restrict posts—perhaps due to moderator absence or an unexpected influx of traffic—they can do so without admin approval using a feature called “temporary events.”

Overall, while Reddit aims for stability and control, many users are left feeling that their voices are being stifled in the process.