Reddit is facing pressure from its moderators to reopen private subreddits, according to reports. The company has set deadlines for moderators to present their plans for reopening, indicating that these communities cannot remain closed. While the exact consequences for not complying with these deadlines have not been specified, Reddit has suggested that this is the final warning stage.
“This community remaining closed to its [millions of] members cannot continue” beyond the given deadline, stated ModCodeofConduct, an admin (Reddit employee) account responsible for enforcing the site’s rules. The account further emphasized that millions of members have lost complete access to these closed communities and that this situation will not continue. ModCodeofConduct urged moderators to at least set their communities to a “restricted” mode if they need more time to consider future moderation plans.
Moreover, Reddit has explicitly stated that the continued violation of Rule 4 of its Moderator Code of Conduct, which requires moderators to be active and engaged, would result in further action. In one case, a subreddit was reopened but in an “archive” mode, where new posts are automatically removed.
This recent push by Reddit to reopen private subreddits comes after weeks of urging protesting communities to resume normal operations. Reddit has expressed its intention to replace inactive or disruptive moderators with more active ones. While many subreddits have reopened without any restrictions, some have transitioned from complete private mode to a restricted mode, allowing users to view content but only granting posting and commenting privileges to select individuals.
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When a subreddit is in restricted mode, most users cannot post, but they can still view the posts. This change has the added benefit of making links from these subreddits, which may appear in Google search results, actually useful. However, for the few communities that remain private, Reddit seems determined to change this status.
In a fact sheet released on June 15th, Reddit stated that it would not unilaterally reopen communities. Yet, the recent rhetoric from ModCodeofConduct suggests that the company may be considering reevaluating this approach.
Reddit has yet to comment on the matter.
In conclusion, Reddit is facing pressure from its moderators to reopen private subreddits. The company has set deadlines for moderators to present their reopening plans, signaling that these communities cannot remain closed. While the exact consequences remain uncertain, Reddit is urging moderators to at least set their communities to a restricted mode if they need more time. The recent push to reopen comes after weeks of encouraging protesting communities to resume normal operations. Reddit’s stance on reopening subreddits has apparently shifted, raising the possibility that it may reconsider its previous approach.
