[Updated] PSA: Reddit going dark from June 12-14 as subs join protest against recent API changes with respect to 3rd-party apps

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on June 5, 2023) follows:

Reddit had earlier made an announcement and stated that the platform may soon start charging fees from third-party app developers to access their API.

Generally, such apps allow users to browse ad-free and offer a cleaner and more streamlined interface as compared to the official client.

However, once this policy is enforced, they will no longer be able to enjoy the ad-free experience like they could earlier.

And this is because the developers will either need to pay a hefty sum of money to access the platform’s API or forcefully display ads on their apps. This move will allegedly help Reddit boost its revenue share.

Nevertheless, it appears that this news has not been well received by some people.

According to reports (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10), Reddit users are planning to mark a protest against the recent API changes. As part of this protest, many subreddits will go offline for 48 hours from June 12 to June 14.

Users say that the charges that the platform is demanding from 3rd-party app developers are so high that most of them will have to shut down.

Notably, some will have to pay tens of millions of dollars per year just for API access. However, if these apps shut down, people will be forced to use the official client and watch annoying ads time and again.

Some have already stated their willingness to participate actively, while others on the platform are considering getting involved.

A user says that they use Apollo on iOS because they don’t like to be bombarded with multiple ads. They also add that the official app keeps suggesting random and irrelevant posts.

However, they don’t face any such issues with third party app clients.

Another Redditor mentions that this change will make it quite frustrating for mobile users to browse the platform. They assert that the official client can never compete with the unofficial ones.

They have also decided to participate in this protest.

/r/Videos will be going dark from June 12-14 in protest against Reddit’s API changes which kill 3rd party apps.
Source

We will be going dark from June 12-14 in protest against Reddit’s API changes which kill 3rd party apps.
Source

A section of users claim that their accounts have been banned after adding their subs to the protest. Some are now even thinking of quitting Reddit permanently.

It’s also worth noting that some subreddits will return after 48 hours of inactivity, while others may permanently shut down if the issue is not adequately addressed.

In the meantime, we’ll keep monitoring the topic and update this story with the latest developments.

10:06 am (IST): With the help of Reddark platform, you can check out various subreddits that are going dark or read-only.

Moreover, almost thousand other subreddits have pledged to go dark in opposition to upcoming Reddit API changes. It is primarily due to the recent comments made by the CEO of Reddit. For more head here.

11:41 am (IST): Reddit ‘blackout’ protest intensifies as some subreddits (like Android and Google Pixel) opt to stay private for a longer period of time (June 20), or even indefinitely in some situations.

Update: I’m told that since the moderators of /r/Android coordinated with the moderators of /r/GooglePixel and /r/AndroidApps on the blackout, the latter two subreddits will also extend their blackouts until 20:00 EDT on June 20, 2023.
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The CEO even claimed that Reddit is hardly being affected by the ongoing protest and predicts that many of the subreddits will resume operations by Wednesday.

However, if reports are to be believed, several advertisers are suspending their ad campaigns until the situation has been restored.

04:17 pm (IST): Reddit is reportedly threatening moderators of sub-reddits that they will be removed if they black out indefinitely.

01:03 pm (IST): One of Apollo developers has come up to expose Reddit’s false statements and talk about their unwillingness to work with Apollo’s developers, moderators, and the community. More on that here.

04:39 pm (IST): Reddit has reportedly set a deadline for moderators, who have set their communities to private, to lay out their plans for reopening them. More on that here.

04:12 pm (IST): Reddit has reportedly (1, 2) removed all the moderators after they refused to take their sub-reddit off private.

02:59 pm (IST): Geddit is a new app that lets you access Reddit content for free and you don’t need to pay for Reddit’s API. However, there are some drawbacks. More on that here.

Note: There are more such stories in our News Section so be sure to follow them as well.

Featured image source: Reddit.

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