Today, the internet is experiencing a major shift as Reddit, one of the most popular online communities, has made a significant decision. As of June 30, 2023, several mobile apps that allow users to browse Reddit are shutting down. This decision comes as part of Reddit’s new initiative to charge for access to its API, causing a wave of discontent among users and moderators.
While this may seem like a minor API change, it signifies a larger issue surrounding labor on the internet and the monetization of online communities. Reddit CEO Steve Huffman stated that one of the primary reasons for this move is to ensure that companies using Reddit’s data for artificial intelligence (AI) training pay for its value. Huffman believes that Reddit’s data is incredibly valuable but should not be given away for free to large companies like OpenAI and Google.
However, the decision to charge for the API has broader consequences than just impacting companies using Reddit for AI training. Popular Reddit apps like Apollo and Reddit Is Fun have announced that they will shut down rather than pay the fees, estimated to amount to $20 million annually for developers like Christian Selig, the creator of Apollo. This decision has sparked outrage among users, leading to protests and a significant reduction in conversation and engagement on the platform.
To voice their opposition, moderators of nearly 9,000 subreddits made their groups private, rendering them inaccessible to the public. This move has not only affected the vibrancy of conversations on Reddit but has also affected Google search results. The impact of these actions is a clear indication that this dispute has the potential to damage the platform’s reputation and user base.
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Rory Mir, the associate director of community organizing at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, highlights that platforms like Reddit can suffer a slow attrition unless they alter their course. Similar to Twitter, when a social media website starts to decline, it may not experience an immediate collapse but rather a gradual decline in users and activity.
This shake-up on Reddit has prompted users to reconsider the value they provide to tech companies and how their contributions are monetized. A user on a subreddit dedicated to saving third-party apps summarized Reddit’s beginnings, highlighting that the platform started as an empty website, populated by its founders with hundreds of fake accounts to create the illusion of activity and popularity. This user emphasizes that without the users, Reddit would be nothing more than the CEO’s “digital dollhouse.”
The unfolding events on Reddit are a reminder of the evolving dynamics between online communities and the platforms that host them. Users are becoming more aware of the value they bring to these platforms and the potential exploitation of their contributions. It also highlights the delicate balance between fostering a thriving community and finding sustainable revenue streams.
It remains to be seen how Reddit will respond to the backlash and whether they will reconsider their decision to charge for API access. However, the repercussions of this move have already had a profound impact on the platform’s culture, signaling a significant shift within Reddit and the broader internet landscape. As the dust settles, it’s clear that this moment will be remembered as a turning point in Reddit’s history—a moment that reshaped the nature of internet communities and the relationship between users, platforms, and their data.
