In a dramatic turn of events, the moderators of several prominent subreddits have joined forces to stage a coordinated protest known as the Reddit Blackout 2023.
This unprecedented event comes as a response to Reddit’s decision to raise its API pricing to exorbitant levels, causing outrage within the Reddit community. From the 12th to the 13th of June 2023, numerous subreddits will go dark, some indefinitely, symbolizing a united front against this unjustified pricing strategy.
The cause:
The primary cause behind the Reddit Blackout 2023 is to voice dissent against Reddit’s decision to raise API pricing to an unreasonable extent. The API (Application Programming Interface) allows developers to access Reddit’s data and integrate it into their applications.
However, the recent pricing adjustments have posed significant financial burdens for developers, forcing them to either pay a sky price, or shut down their operation, hindering innovation and limiting access to valuable content.
The effect:
Several moderators from prominent subreddit aim to demonstrate the unity and strength of the Reddit community. Many subreddits with massive subscriber bases have joined the protest, emphasizing the collective dissatisfaction with the pricing changes, and the intention to kill 3rd party application such as Apollo in order to maximize the profit of the Reddit.
This event represents a powerful stand against what is perceived as an unjustified action by the Reddit administration.
During the two-day protest, affected subreddits will go dark, meaning they will be set to private, rendering them inaccessible to the general Reddit user base. This move is expected to have a substantial impact on Reddit’s traffic and, subsequently, its revenues. With a vast number of users unable to access their favorite subreddits, the blackout aims to send a clear message to Reddit’s management about the community’s concerns and expectations.
It is unsure whether will the Reddit management u-turn on their API pricing decision or remain profit-minded. But either way, it is a loss to the community.
