Reddit At War: The Clash Between Platform Policies and NSFW-Protesting Moderators

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In the face of changes made by Reddit to its API, moderators from various subreddits have adopted creative strategies to voice their displeasure. From posting pictures of John Oliver to changing the topic of their subreddits, they are now marking their subreddits as NSFW (Not Safe For Work) in an attempt to affect Reddit’s ad revenue. This has spurred action from Reddit, which has intervened in some cases by removing moderators and requesting the removal of the NSFW label.

A Brief History of the Conflict

In April 2019, Reddit instituted a policy that prohibited advertisements on NSFW subreddits. Now, in 2023, a number of subreddit moderators have responded by marking their previously SFW subreddits as NSFW. This move is ostensibly to hit Reddit where it hurts – in its advertising revenue – and to force the company to reconsider the API changes.

Examples of Communities Affected

As reported by The Verge, subreddits such as r/formula1, r/HomeKit, and r/HomePod temporarily adopted the NSFW label earlier this week. Reddit administrators, however, swiftly intervened, asking moderators to revert the communities back to SFW status.

Other larger communities, including r/interestingasfuck, r/mildlyinteresting, and r/TIHI (Thanks I Hate It), also toggled on the NSFW label. Reddit briefly deposed the moderators of r/mildlyinteresting, but later reinstated them when the subreddit returned to being SFW. As for r/interestingasfuck and r/TIHI, they have since been archived as their moderators were removed.

Additionally, communities such as r/illegallifeprotips, r/self, and r/shittylifeprotips have also been archived.

Reddit’s Official Response

Reddit has been clear in its opposition to these protest tactics. The admin account, u/ModCodeofConduct, stated that abruptly changing a community’s status from SFW to NSFW is inappropriate and not acceptable. The account emphasized the importance of maintaining the integrity of the content that users initially subscribed to.

“Changing an otherwise SFW community to one with content inappropriate for Reddit policies as an act of protest would not only harm its members but would be unacceptable overall. People subscribe to communities for content at the time they join and over time it may change over time; but in our view this change should occur gradually for best user outcomes,” according to Reddit policy experts. Reddit posted through the u/ModCodeofConduct account.

Subreddits Persisting in Protest

Despite Reddit’s stance, some subreddits, such as r/birthcontrol, r/perfectlycutscreams, r/gameofthrones, and r/applehelp, continue to retain their NSFW status as part of the protest.

In total, over 2,700 subreddits have gone dark this month, with many still remaining private or restricted according to a subreddit tracker.

CEO Steve Huffman Defends API Changes

In a recent series of interviews, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman remained steadfast in his defense of the API changes. He asserted that the protests have had little impact on the platform’s revenue.

Furthermore, Reddit has faced threats from hackers who claimed to release 80GB of confidential data unless the company complies with their demands and reverses the API changes.

Conclusion

Reddit and its moderators’ ongoing disagreement exemplifies the difficulty that social media platforms encounter in trying to balance policy changes with user interests and opinions on platforms like Reddit. How both parties will navigate this challenging terrain remains to be seen.

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