Reddit threatens to take over blacked-out subreddits by replacing moderators
Reddit has been an integral part of the internet for quite a while now, with third-party apps offering a diverse experience for millions of users. However, the entire ecosystem of third-party Reddit clients has come under threat after the company decided to enforce revised API pricing, which led to third-party Reddit clients like Apollo, RIF, and others deciding to shut down operations altogether. To nobody's surprise, millions of subreddits joined forces for a multi-day blackout earlier this week to protest the changes. But these actions may have fallen on deaf ears, especially based on Reddit CEO Steve Huffman's comments over the past few days.
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In a lengthy interview with The Verge, the executive reiterated Reddit's original position on the matter, saying that the API pricing change is a "business decision" while clarifying that the company won't change its mind. With all this going on, a post on the ModSupport subreddit (via MacRumors) is threatening moderators that they'll be replaced if they "stop moderating," as shared by the moderator of the r/apple subreddit, aaronp613 on Twitter.
Speaking to NBC News, Huffman likened the protesting moderators to a "landed gentry," adding, "The people who get there first get to stay there and pass it down to their descendants, and that is not democratic." In a separate discussion with NPR, Huffman played down the blackouts, saying, "It's a small group that's very upset, and there's no way around that." The founder/CEO then went on to tell the site that the real victims of the protests are the "everyday users."
One of the multiple complaints developers and moderators had with Reddit's recent decision was about the lack of flexibility in enforcing the new API pricing change deadline, which is scheduled to go into effect on July 1, 2023. But Huffman has indicated some willingness to find a middle ground here, telling NPR, "There are areas of opportunity to be more flexible, to give longer transition times." Reddit says it continues to engage with developers who are willing to talk.
But discussions have completely fallen apart with Apollo and RIF, Huffman told the publication. Apollo developer Christian Selig estimated recently that the new API changes would set him back by $20 million a year, which meant that the service's closure was the only viable option. This could be the case for a lot of other third-party clients, especially those of smaller stature than iOS' beloved Reddit client.
Meanwhile, to clarify its stance to the public, Reddit published a blog post on Thursday with "key facts" about the API pricing changes. One of the points stresses the need for Reddit to be a self-sustaining business. But the company says it can't achieve that goal as long as it continues to "subsidize commercial entities that require large-scale data use" from Reddit's API.
Reddit then shared that over 80% of the top 5,000 Reddit communities (based on daily active users) were open as of June 15, trying to diminish the impact of the subreddit blackouts. On a positive note, accessibility apps like Luna, Dystopia, and Redreader have signed agreements, Reddit said, enabling them to continue functioning despite the upcoming changes.
So based on these developments, it doesn't seem like the large-scale protest has impacted the top brass. But there is some hope that at least some third-party app developers may get an extension on the original July 1 deadline. Some lucky developers, like Relay for Reddit, have managed to figure out a way to survive the impact of the pricing change, although at the cost of switching to a subscription-only model.
Source: Android Police
