Reddit protests explained: Why thousands of subreddits have gone private

Reddit, the social network known for its community-based structure, is experiencing a significant protest. About 3,500 of its 'subreddits' will be going private.

Here's what's happening.

Reddit differs from most social networks. Users follow subreddits, communities dedicated to specific topics. Subreddits range from r/aww for adorable content, to r/BuyItForLife for practical purchases.

Recently, Reddit proposed a pricing change to its API, affecting third-party apps. Apollo, a popular Reddit app, would need to pay a staggering $20 million per year under the new rules. That's more than double what it currently costs to run the app.

The developer of Apollo compared this to Twitter's API pricing, which is four times as much. But he noted that Reddit's new pricing was still far from reasonable.

Reddit's unique structure means it relies heavily on volunteer community moderators, or 'mods'. These mods ensure the content stays relevant and legal. However, Reddit's pricing change has sparked discontent among them, leading to the planned protest. Nearly 3,500 subreddits will become private for 48 hours, locking out non-members.

As part of this protest, the moderators of the iPhone subreddit, initially planned to go private on June 12. However, after an AMA session with Reddit CEO, they have decided to go 'private indefinitely' starting June 11.

In response, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman alleged that Apollo was blackmailing the company, a claim that Apollo's developer denies. Meanwhile, Reddit is undergoing some structural changes, including workforce reduction by 5 percent.

As Reddit users and mods stand up against the proposed changes, the platform's future direction hangs in the balance. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing situation.