Reddit to Charge Third-Party Developers for Access to Platform
Subreddits to Close for 48 Hours in Solidarity
Reddit, the popular social network, has announced that it will charge third-party developers for services that allow access to the platform without going through the official app. The decision has sparked outrage among the Reddit community, with many subreddits planning to close their doors for 48 hours on June 12th. Some subreddits have even threatened to close forever, potentially affecting hundreds of millions of users.
Twitter Follows Suit to Generate Revenue
It should be noted that Twitter has also made a similar decision in recent months to generate new revenue. Reddit, which was created in 2005, only launched its official app in 2016. During this time, many third-party services have appeared, and they are very popular among Internet users. This is especially true of Narwhal and Apollo.
Apollo App Founder Expresses Disappointment
The founder of the Apollo app, which utilizes Reddit’s API for providing access to the platform, expressed his disappointment with the new charges. He claims that he has to pay $20 million to keep the app going, whereas he only pays Imgur $166 for the same number of API calls. He also adds that he doesn’t understand how the new pricing is based on reality or even remotely reasonable.
48-Hour Strike by Moderators of Popular Subreddits
The implementation of these charges has led the moderators of the ultra-popular subreddits to start a 48-hour strike starting June 12th. This applies in particular to r/videos, r/gaming, r/bestof, r/Awww, and French speakers from r/France. The moderators argue that these third-party services are widely used to filter content in certain subreddits and have become indispensable for many Reddit users. They also point out that if no posts are confirmed within 48 hours on the relevant forums, the move could take even longer “until the issue is properly resolved by Reddit.”
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Stay up-to-date with the latest tech news by subscribing to our newsletter. You’ll receive the newsletter every morning in your mailbox.
