Reddit is seemingly pressuring moderators into reopening subreddits that had been closed due to ongoing protests. The company has reportedly threatened to remove moderators who refuse to reopen these subreddits, citing the moderator code of conduct as justification. However, Reddit has denied these allegations, stating that it is merely communicating expectations and not exerting pressure.
The protests are a response to Reddit’s new API pricing policy, which was announced in April. The new policy has been met with backlash as it was discovered that it would negatively impact third-party apps. One such app, Apollo for Reddit, announced that it would be shutting down on June 30 due to the new policy, which would cost the app’s developer $20 million annually to keep the app operational.
The Backlash Deepends
The company’s actions have been met with backlash from moderators, with one, aaronp613, who moderates r/apple, taking to Twitter to voice his concerns. He accused Reddit of “digging the hole deeper and deeper” and shared a screenshot of the alleged threat aaronp613’s tweet.
His statement emphasizes that while moderators have the right to take a break or step down from their roles, they also have a responsibility to the communities they oversee. These communities, some of which consist of thousands or even millions of users, rely on active moderation for support, information, entertainment, and connection.
Reddit is just digging the hole deeper and deeper.
They are essentially threatening moderators of subreddits that are blacking out indefinitely that they will be removed. https://t.co/IeU3inmyf4 pic.twitter.com/HF4t3EO1JS
— Aaron (@aaronp613) June 15, 2023
Reddit’s stance is that subreddits belong to the community of users who frequent them, and moderators are merely stewards of these spaces. As such, Reddit has policies in place to address issues such as inactive moderation, vandalism of communities by mods, and subreddit squatting. When these rules are violated, Reddit takes action by removing the offending moderators and replacing them with new, active ones. The company also rearranges mod teams to empower active moderators to make decisions for their communities.
The statement also touches on the difficult decision some moderators may face if they no longer wish to moderate a community they’ve nurtured for years. If a moderator team unanimously decides to stop moderating, Reddit will invite new moderators to keep the community open and accessible. However, if there is no consensus and at least one moderator wishes to continue, Reddit will respect their decision and remove those who no longer wish to moderate from the team.
Reddit takes the “wrong” approach
This statement provides insight into Reddit’s approach to community moderation and the balance it seeks to strike between respecting the rights of moderators and ensuring the continuity of active communities.
The company’s CEO, Steve Huffman, has stated that Reddit is considering updating its moderator removal policy to allow community members to vote out moderators more easily. This move is seen as a response to the ongoing protests and the desire of Reddit users to regain control over their communities.
Despite the controversy, Huffman has downplayed the impact of the protests, stating in a memo to employees that the protests “will pass” and have not significantly affected the company’s revenue.
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