Reddit Moderators have been protesting the upcoming API changes threatening other popular Reddit-adjacent applications. Some of these applications are utilized by users who have visual disabilities or generally find Reddit’s base app difficult to navigate/lacking in customization options. Others use third-party apps to filter out spam or enable features that are not available in the Reddit app. The blackout of Reddit resulted in many pages going “private” or unable to be viewed by people who weren’t “members” of the subreddit.
The blackout has since ended for many subreddits, possibly due to Reddit threatening to oust their moderators, but some moderators have chosen to fight dirty to make their voices heard.
r/MildlyInteresting, a subreddit with over 11 million members, and a group of other subreddits have decided to abandon most of their rules, including a repeal on the “no NSFW” content ban.
This was meant to illustrate the important work that Moderators do in a direct form of protest by making their subreddits unavailable to advertisers.
Reddit’s response
Reddit did not like this protest and proceeded to remove the moderators of the participating subreddits, including r/MildlyInteresting, r/interestingasfuck, and r/TIHI. The mods found their accounts had been suspended for 7 days, though most of them were later restored. When the Verge questioned Reddit spokesperson Tim Rathschmidt about the moderators’ rescinded access, he replied “I’m not going to set a precedent of confirming with The Verge every action we do or don’t take to ensure users can access their communities.”
This is just the latest in handwaving and blame-shifting from Reddit management.
CEO Steve Huffman recently said in an interview with The Verge that “90-plus percent of Reddit users are on our platform, contributing, and are monetized either through ads or Reddit Premium. Why would we subsidize this small group? Why would we effectively pay them to use Reddit but not everybody else who also contributes to Reddit?”
Actually, he makes a good point: why doesn’t Reddit pay its contributors?
YouTubers, TikTokers, and influencers generally make more money from merch and sponsorships than they do off of the actual advertising on their content. But many still receive some form of financial compensation. The closest thing Reddit has to a form of payment is their award system, where people can buy awards that they can then give to users whose posts they enjoy.
So why not give that advertising money to the posters and moderators?
Because it’s a diversion. Huffman is trying to turn Reddit users against the moderators, blaming them for being greedy. But the truth is that Reddit is built on the free labor of both its users and moderators.
Problems with this protest
Redditors using NSFW content to fight back (while amusing) could also have longstanding consequences for the app. Reddit NSFW communities have already found themselves struggling with 3rd party apps like IMGUR no longer wanting to host NSFW content. If Reddit decides to pull a Tumblr and outright ban NSFW content on the app entirely, it could mean disaster for hundreds of subreddits and communities.
Others have also noted the problems with changing SFW communities to NSFW. Suddenly, people who thought they were in a safe space may find themselves feeling uncomfortable or potentially triggered depending on how graphic the content is. While the moderators made rules demanding “Label content correctly (is it NSFW or not?)” and clarifying there would be “No sexual content of minors” and “No illegal content,” the continued need for moderators proves how consistently users will disregard the rules.
The future
Still, Reddit stripping moderators of access to their forums is an unprecedented move, especially since some smaller subreddits still haven’t had their mods restored. The r/MildlyInteresting post pointed out the hypocrisy of how “[Steve Huffman] says that the protest has been ineffective, then days later says reddit moderators are too powerful and will change the site’s rules to weaken them. Now the admins are trying to subvert moderators to get subreddits back open.”
It’s hard to say what action Reddit moderators can/will take next. Many users felt that the initial blackout was a failure from the start by stating it would only last two days. Reddit has no reason to worry if the protest doesn’t last longer than the weekend.
I guess it’ll just have to be a lot longer next time.
(via The Verge, featured image: Marvel/Disney)
