In a series of interviews, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman has acknowledged the ongoing Reddit blackout, which has caused some trouble, but remains firm on the site’s controversial pricing changes.
Earlier this week, several of Reddit’s largest subreddits, including gaming communities like r/PS5, r/Terraria, r/EscapeFromTarkov, and r/Gaming, switched to an inaccessible private mode as part of a coordinated blackout. This blackout was in response to Reddit’s proposed price hike for its Application Programming Interface (API), which is crucial for third-party mobile apps and custom extensions, as well as accessibility and moderation tools.
Although the price hikes are set to take effect on July 1, they have already led to the closure of Reddit’s two largest third-party apps, Reddit Is Fun and Apollo.
In a recent interview with NPR, Huffman dismissed the protests as coming from a small group of upset users and emphasized the significant benefits it would bring to the company’s profits by moving third-party users to Reddit’s official app.
Huffman also claimed that everyday users are being more affected by the blackouts than his company. However, even days after the 48-hour protest was meant to end on June 14, 20% of Reddit’s largest subreddits remain in private mode, according to Huffman himself.
Furthermore, Adweek has reported that advertisers are putting Reddit-based ad campaigns on hold during the protest, causing slightly lower impression delivery and slightly higher costs in relation to engagement.
Speaking to NBC, Huffman suggested that the protests were being carried out against the will of Reddit’s users and compared the site’s volunteer moderators to the “landed gentry” who should be more accountable to their constituents.
In response to Huffman’s interviews, Reddit moderators participating in the blackout have criticized the company’s poor communication. They continue to urge Reddit to pause these changes and find a path forward that best serves a wide range of users.
Currently, Reddit has not announced any changes that would allow Apollo or Reddit Is Fun to remain open.
In other gaming news, Riot Games has confirmed the launch of Team Deathmatch in Valorant this month.
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Eugen Boglaru is an AI aficionado covering the fascinating and rapidly advancing field of Artificial Intelligence. From machine learning breakthroughs to ethical considerations, Eugen provides readers with a deep dive into the world of AI, demystifying complex concepts and exploring the transformative impact of intelligent technologies.
