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Reddit API Pricing Sparks Blackout Protest
Over 8,000 subreddits went dark or read-only in protest of Reddit’s API pricing, which will shut down many third-party apps like Apollo and Reddit is Fun because of the high fees.
Details of the Blackout
The blackout began on Monday and will last for 48 hours, is a coordinated effort between tens of thousands of moderators and millions of Reddit users. Participating subreddits will be private during the blackout, so that nonsubscribers can’t view existing content, and subscribers can’t post or comment on new content. Some protesting subreddits will be in read-only mode. Participants are encouraged to speak out about the API changes by leaving negative reviews of the official Reddit app, as well as boycott the site in favor of non-Reddit platforms to dent its traffic.
Participation
Moderators in r/ModCoord are keeping track of participating subreddits in an ongoing thread — as of Monday afternoon, 28,606 moderators are participating, and 8,300 subreddits pledged to go private in support of the movement. Some subreddits pledged to permanently shut down unless Reddit “adequately addresses” its users’ concerns, according to a post in r/Save3rdPartyApps.
The Most Popular Subreddits Participating
The most popular subreddits participating the blackout include r/funny, r/aww, r/gaming, r/Music, r/Pics, r/science and r/todayilearned. The collective userbase across all of the protesting subreddits totals 2.8 billion, which includes a significant overlap of users who subscribe to multiple protesting subreddits. Users can watch subreddits go dark in real time on Twitch.
The Goal of the Blackout
“The two-day blackout isn’t the goal, and it isn’t the end,” an instructional post in r/Save3rdPartyApps said. “Should things reach the 14th with no sign of Reddit choosing to fix what they’ve broken, we’ll use the community and buzz we’ve built between then and now as a tool for further action.”
Changes to Reddit’s API
Until now, API access — which allows a third-party app to communicate with a website, has been free. Upvoting a post, commenting, browsing subreddits and all other interactions users have using a third-party app requires API requests. Reddit responds to the requests with corresponding data. API access also allows third-party apps to provide accessibility features for users who are blind or visually impaired, and allows moderators to use “superior mod tools, customization, streamlined interfaces, and other quality of life improvements” that the official Reddit app doesn’t offer, an open letter in r/ModCoord notes.
Changes in API Pricing
Starting July 1, API access will be priced based on data usage, which will be prohibitively expensive for many third-party apps. The cost is unsustainable for many of the indie developers running widely used apps, including Apollo, Reddit is Fun and Sync — all of which announced plans to shutter by June 30. The new pricing would cost Apollo $20 million per year, Apollo developer Christian Selig said in a recent post, which is “just not economically feasible” even if the app increased its subscription fees.
Reddit’s Response
The Reddit spokesperson said that the company is not planning any further API updates, and that the pricing changes are based on usage levels that the company measures to be comparable to its own costs. Reddit spends millions of dollars on hosting fees, the spokesperson said, and the company needs to be compensated to continue supporting high-usage third-party apps. The spokesperson also said that developers are responsible for the efficiency of their apps, and pointed out that Apollo is “notably less efficient” than other third-party apps. As long as the apps are not monetized, Reddit API is free.
FAQs
What is the protest about?
The protest is in response to Reddit’s new pricing policy that would see API access restricted and priced based on data usage.
Why are subreddits going dark?
Over 8,000 subreddits are currently private during the blackout to raise awareness of the changes to API pricing and to protest against it.
When will the blackout end?
The protest will last for 48 hours, ending on June 11.
Which subreddits are participating in the blackout?
As of Monday afternoon, 8,300 subreddits had pledged to go private in support of the movement. Some of the most popular subreddits include r/funny, r/aww, r/gaming, r/Music, r/Pics, r/science and r/todayilearned.
What is Reddit’s response to the protest?
Reddit is currently not planning any further API updates and has indicated that the new pricing policy is based on usage levels that the company measures to be comparable to its own costs.
Conclusion
The 48-hour Reddit blackout is a coordinated effort between tens of thousands of moderators and millions of Reddit users in protest of Reddit’s API pricing. The changes to API access pricing will impact many popular third-party apps and makes API access prohibitively expensive. The blackout has already seen tens of thousands of moderators unite in support of the movement. The collective user base across all of the protesting subreddits totals 2.8 billion, which includes a significant overlap of users who subscribe to multiple protesting subreddits. While the protest is only for 48 hours, it is just the beginning, and the Reddit community has promised to use its community and buzz as a tool for further action if the situation is not resolved.
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