The specific nature of these potential policy shifts for Reddit’s volunteer moderators remains uncertain. Nevertheless, it appears that Reddit is considering altering the power dynamics that have given moderators significant influence over the platform in the past.
The blackout has also had other notable effects on Reddit. Some power users have started exploring alternative platforms like Lemmy and kbin, which operate on decentralized models. While these platforms are still niche and face similar challenges as Twitter alternatives such as Mastodon, there is growing interest among certain Reddit users. Additionally, large communities are migrating to more familiar platforms like Discord.
Despite Reddit’s attempts to downplay the impact of the blackout, advertisers have taken notice. AdWeek reports that some ad buyers have temporarily halted their advertising activities until the situation unfolds. Although Huffman claims that ad revenue hasn’t been significantly affected, continued protests in communities of interest to advertisers could change that sentiment. Advertisers are cautious about becoming the focus of user opinions regarding Reddit’s decisions.
