Reddit is implementing new policies that significantly limit the ability of moderators to switch their subreddits from public to private. Moderators must now submit a request to Reddit admins for approval before making such changes. This policy also applies to changing a subreddit’s status from safe for work (SFW) to not safe for work (NSFW).
Reasons for the Change
Reddit's decision aims to prevent the misuse of community type settings, which were previously used to protest the company's API pricing changes. By going private, communities made themselves inaccessible, disrupting the platform and violating Reddit’s rules.
Last year, thousands of subreddits went private to protest API pricing changes, effectively raising awareness but also blocking content expected to remain public. This action also negatively impacted Google searches. During the protests, Reddit warned moderators that they would be removed if they did not reopen their subreddits. The company also stated that switching to NSFW to add friction and make subreddits ineligible for advertising was unacceptable.
New Policy Details
- Approval Process: Requests to make communities private or NSFW will be reviewed within 24 hours. Smaller or newer communities (under 5,000 members or less than 30 days old) will have their requests approved automatically.
- Temporary Restrictions: Communities can temporarily restrict posts or comments for up to seven days without approval using the “temporary events” feature.
Reddit consulted with its mod council, consisting of about 160 moderators, before announcing the changes. While the reaction was measured, some moderators viewed the change as punitive, especially in light of last year’s protests. Despite potential blowback, Reddit is committed to moving forward with the policy to keep communities accessible.
