Reddit users report “blocked by network security” error as comments fail to load without refresh

Update 12/02/26 – 09:12 am (IST): Reddit admin CorrectScale made a comment stating, “We’re starting to see this error clear up, but we’re continuing to monitor the issue!” Meanwhile, other users have since then been confirming that the issue is now fixed for them. 

Original article published on February 12, 2026, follows:

Reddit’s web experience hit a snag earlier today when users on multiple browsers started seeing a red banner warning them their request had been blocked by network security. The issue appears to kick in when clicking into posts, with comment sections refusing to load until the page gets a manual refresh.

Reports suggest that the problem has been going on for several hours now with no fix in sight. What makes this particularly annoying is that the fix only lasts for one post before the cycle repeats itself.

Reports flooded into r/reddithelp and r/bugs and other subs starting around 8-9 hours ago, with users noting the problem spans Chrome, Firefox, Brave, Edge, and even Opera browsers on both desktop and mobile. One thread has over 300 upvotes and hundreds of comments.

A user in India confirmed seeing the error, while others from the UK and various US locations chimed in with identical experiences. The common thread? Everyone’s already logged in, so the “please try to login with your Reddit account” message doesn’t make much sense.

This isn’t the first time Reddit has thrown this particular error message. Back in August 2025, Firefox users ran into similar issues that eventually resolved on their own. The difference this time is the scale and the browser variety affected.

A separate bug report posted around the same time describes Reddit’s front page loading in places it shouldn’t on old Reddit, with embedded content getting replaced by Reddit homepage elements. Reddit admin CorrectScale responded saying, “What the heck? Edit: taking a look,” which suggests the platform’s engineering team is actively investigating related issues.

The workaround for now is straightforward but tedious. Hit refresh (F5 or Ctrl+R) when the error pops up, and comments should load normally. Some users mentioned that clearing cookies and cache for “all time” helped temporarily, though others reported that approach didn’t stick. A few people wondered if ad blockers were part of the equation, but reports came from users both with and without blocking tools enabled.

Reddit hasn’t issued an official statement about the network security error yet, but given the admin activity in the bugs subreddit and the pattern from previous incidents, this looks like a server-side or front-end caching problem rather than actual account restrictions. Users who thought they’d been shadowbanned can probably breathe easier.

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