The recent Reddit blackout, organized to protest the platform’s API policy changes, is having a substantial impact on the popular social media site. However, contrary to the intentions of its organizers, Reddit’s leadership, including CEO Steve Huffman, has stood firm on its position and refused to reverse the changes.
Huffman expressed his perspective on the matter in interviews with NPR and The Verge, stating that it was time for Reddit to mature as a company. He attributed the backlash to users being upset about losing free access to certain features. Reddit also downplayed the impact of the blackout, despite more than 8,000 subreddits going dark and temporarily bringing down the entire platform.
While the initial 48-hour blackout period has passed, many subreddits remain private or restricted, including popular ones like r/funny, r/aww, and r/Music, which collectively have tens of millions of subscribers. Moderators of these subreddits have indicated that their protests will continue indefinitely.
