Topline
Reddit moderators of more than 70 subreddits with millions of collective subscribers went private on Monday in a coordinated effort to protest the coronavirus disinformation they say runs rampant on the platform, as well as Reddit’s refusal to delete subreddits dedicated to undermining the severity of the pandemic.
Reddit moderators are demanding Reddit take more action against coronavirus disinformation.
Key Facts
According to a message posted by the moderators, the subreddits will remain closed until Reddit scrubs /r/NoNewNormal, a community that bills itself as “skeptical” of pandemic restrictions like masks and vaccines, and similar subreddits.
Some of the biggest subreddits to take part in the blackout are r/futurology and r/tifu with 10 million subscribers each, along with r /childfree, r/Holup, r/instant_regret, r/perfectlycutscreams and r/PokemonGo, each with more than 1 million subscribers.
In a statement to Forbes, a Reddit spokesperson said Monday that Reddit remains a place for “open and authentic discussion and debate,” including ideas that question or disagree with popular consensus, adding the platform will provide users with resources when viewing subreddits that “may warrant additional scrutiny.”
Tangent
When a subreddit goes private, posts and comments cannot be seen. Earlier this year, hundreds of subreddits went private to protest after Reddit reportedly hired former British politician Aimee Knight, who was suspended from her political party in 2018, after her father and campaign manager David Challenor was convicted of sexually assaulting a child. Knight hired her father in 2016, after he was arrested and charged with the crime. Reddit users protested her hiring after Reddit reportedly banned a moderator for posting an article about Knight, saying it was a move to prevent doxxing against an employee. Knight, who was never mentioned by name by Reddit, was let go shortly after, and the company admitted it did not adequately vet her.
Big Number
52 million. That’s how many daily users Reddit saw on average in late 2020, marking a 44% jump from the same time the previous year.
Key Background
Last week, Reddit moderators released an open letter demanding that Reddit delete /r/NoNewNormal and similar communities, saying they endangered users by spreading false information about coronavirus and the pandemic. “There can be no room for leniency when people are dying as a result of misinformation on this platform,” the open letter read. In response, Reddit opted against deleting the controversial subreddit, saying in a statement that they believe it’s best to “enable communities to engage in debate and dissent.” Not all of the subreddits that signed onto the open letter last week took part in the blackout Monday.
Further Reading
Reddit Moderators Demand The Platform Take Action Against Covid Disinformation (Forbes)