July 24, 2023

Reddit has booted the moderators of several large subreddits, including r/malefashionadvice, r/homeautomation, and r/ShittyLifeProTips. These subreddits are now controlled by a Reddit account called “modcodeofconduct.”

The protests were originally sparked by Reddit’s decision to introduce new paid API plans. These plans priced out many popular third-party apps, forcing them to shut down. In response, some moderators of large subreddits took their communities private in protest.

Reddit has said that it is serious about ending the protests. The company has threatened to remove moderators who continue to keep their subreddits private. It is unclear how many more subreddits will be taken over by Reddit.

The protests are not over yet and members of r/aww and r/pics have started a new protest action: filling up their subreddits with solely posts of photos of comedian John Oliver. Other Redditors have taken their protest message to the relaunched open pixel art canvas at r/Place.

The sources for this piece include an article in Mashable.