Topline
Reddit moderators from more than 70 subreddits, which have millions of subscribers, went private Monday in a coordinated protest against the spread of coronavirus disinformation on Reddit. Reddits also refuses to delete subreddits that are dedicated to undermining severity of the pandemic.
Reddit moderators demand that Reddit takes more action against coronavirus misinformation. SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
The Key Facts
The moderators posted a message saying that the subreddits would remain closed until Reddit scrubs/r/NoNewNormal. This community, which claims to be skeptical about pandemic restrictions such as vaccines and masks, stated that the subreddits would remain closed. The five biggest subreddits to take part in the blackout are r/childfree, r/Holup, r/instant_regret, r/perfectlycutscreams and r/PokemonGo, each with more than 1 million subscribers. Reddit spokesperson, speaking to Forbes, said Monday that Reddit is still a place for authentic and open discussion and debate. He added that the platform will offer resources for users when they view subreddits that might be of interest.
Tangent
Only users who subscribed to the subreddit before the public settings were changed can see the comments and posts. Reddit hired Aimee Knight, a former British politician. She was then suspended from her party in 2018 after David Challenor, her father, was convicted of sexual assaulting a child. After her father was charged and arrested, Knight hired him. Reddit users protested Knight's hiring after Reddit banned a moderator from posting an article about Knight. Reddit claimed it was to stop doxxing against employees. Knight was not named by Reddit and was fired shortly thereafter. The company also admitted that it didn't adequately vet her.
Big Number
52 million. This is the average daily user Reddit saw in late 2020. It's a 44% increase over the year prior.
Important Background
Reddit moderators issued an open letter last week requesting that Reddit remove /r/NoNewNormal, and other similar communities. They claimed they were threatening users by spreading false information regarding the coronavirus pandemic and the pandemic. The open letter stated that there can't be any room for complacency when people are being killed as a result misinformation on the platform. Reddit responded by saying that it would not delete the controversial subreddit.
Continue reading
Reddit Moderators Call for the Platform to Take Action Against Covid Disinformation. (Forbes).
