Reddark: over 100 subreddits have gone dark in protest after Reddit CEO Steve Huffman's remarks on API changes in an AMA on June 9, and thousands plan to follow

The version of Reddit we'll see over the next few days may be a shell of itself. More than 100 subreddits have already gone dark …

The Verge 2023-06-11 Wes Davis

Context & Ripple Effects

The action followed plans by several large communities to restrict access over third-party-app API pricing, including a June 12 shutdown plan. It turned an app-policy dispute into a test of how much control volunteer moderators and communities retain over Reddit's operating decisions.

Related coverage shows the protest rapidly widened into thousands of participating subreddits, with site disruption during the broader blackout. That makes the initial wave consequential beyond the affected communities: it challenges the availability of content that users and searchers expect Reddit to provide.

First-order effects

Participating subreddits become unavailable or read-only, immediately reducing access to their discussions and placing moderators in direct conflict with Reddit's API-policy stance.
Reddit faces a visible service and community-governance disruption as the planned participation expands beyond the first 100-plus communities.

Second-order effects

A larger blackout can weaken Reddit's usefulness for discovery and referral traffic; later coverage linked widespread closures to weaker Reddit results in Google search.
The protest puts pressure on Reddit to clarify or defend its API approach, while third-party app developers and moderators must assess whether they can continue operating under the new terms.

Third-order effects

If platform policy changes repeatedly trigger coordinated moderator action, large community platforms may need to treat volunteer governance as an operational dependency rather than a separate community-management issue.
The episode points to a broader tension in platform economics: efforts to control API access and monetize platform data can conflict with the independent tools and communities that sustain engagement.

The trend: Platforms are increasingly testing how far they can tighten control over APIs and data before developer and community ecosystems push back.

Discussion

@verge @verge on x
Reddit's users and moderators are pissed at its CEO https://www.theverge.com/... [image]
r/gaming Dacvak on reddit
/r/gaming will go dark on June 12th in protest of reddit's API changes
r/pics r on reddit
r/pics will go dark on June 12th in protest of Reddit's API changes that will kill 3rd party apps
r/TrueAnon r on reddit
Reddit's users and moderators are revolting against its CEO
r/technews r on reddit
Reddit's users and moderators are revolting against its CEO
r/technology r on reddit
Reddit's users and moderators are pissed at its CEO
r/gadgets r on reddit
Reddit's users and moderators are revolting against its CEO
r/funny r on reddit
Go to funny — Welcome to r/Funny, Reddit's largest humour depository. — Members — Online — •
r/Music Teeravj on reddit
Go to Music — [UPDATE] r/Music Will Close on June 12th Indefinitely Until Reddit Takes Back Their API Policy Change
@jeffnolan Jeff Nolan on x
Twitter leads, even after critics doom-scream 1) Twitter slashed headcount. Then everyone else followed 2) Launched Blue. Ridiculed. Then Facebook launched their own version 3) Restricted/charged for API... howls. Then Reddit did the same https://twitter.com/...
@acemarke Mark Erikson on x
I moderate the /r/reactjs subreddit. I just posted an announcement that we'll be shutting down the sub June 12-14 to join the protest against Reddit's API pricing changes and killing of 3rd-party apps: https://www.reddit.com/...
@reddit_lies @reddit_lies on x
Spez, the CEO of Reddit, doubles down on his accusations against @apolloreddit [image]
@drewcoffman @drewcoffman on x
pretty fascinating to see the CEO of Reddit (spez) confirm that API changes are largely driven by LLMs making data extremely valuable [image]
@afstreamwatch @afstreamwatch on x
Elon's move on Twitter really shook up a lot of the platforms. The API changes Reddit are trying to make, blatantly inspired by Musk, are causing absolute mayhem. The largest third party Reddit app, Apollo, will shut down as a result and while Reddit attempted to work with Apollo…
@albedoa Corey Glynn on x
the reddit AMA regarding the API changes is going about as well as you'd expect [image]
@andrew_osu Andrew O'Hara on x
If anyone wants the TL/DR of @Reddit's downfall: - Reddit introed new predatory API pricing for third-party apps as it approaches its IPO - As devs pushed back, Reddit got defensive - Reddit CEO Steve Huffman (Spez) slandered & made misleading statements about @apolloreddit... ht…
@pipsqueak_tv @pipsqueak_tv on x
The reddit AMA surround the API apocalypse has some gems in it [image]
@film_girl Christina Warren on x
@SnazzyLabs Imagine if he had just said, “hey, we're restricting API usage (outside of accessibility shit) to users who pay for Reddit Premium” and you know, NOT decided to go after devs who have managed to build a business. Reddit might have even made a little bit of money that …
@papapishu @papapishu on x
the reddit ama with the CEO is going as well as you'd expect lol https://www.reddit.com/...
@rsgnl Joe Rossignol on x
What an absolute dumpster fire for Reddit's CEO here: https://www.reddit.com/...
@swyx @swyx on x
ICYMI Reddit is melting down right now over @redditspez's handling of their API monetization: https://techcrunch.com/... I wonder how @yishan would've handled all this. This is perhaps the single most tone deaf thing I've seen since EA's infamous “pride and accomplishment” post […
@karissabe Karissa Bell on x
Reddit CEO Steve Huffman's AMA on the API chnages was supposed to start at 10:30 am but seems to be running behind.. comments are still locked as well so no one can drop questions yet (though there are clearly quite a few folks waiting to do so) [image]
@sdw Sebastiaan de With on x
Reddit's AMA with its CEO on their API (read: third party app killing) is a train wreck. These are remakes from their CEO. Why does Reddit consistently have such terrible leadership? Before this, Huffman had no public interactions with the community or website for 10 months. [ima…
@rsgnl Joe Rossignol on x
He implies that Apollo has been “taking the spotlight this week.” The word “taking” here is pretty infuriating. It's not like Christian wanted this. Just so disgusting. Fuck u/spez lol.
@aaronp613 Aaron on x
The way spez is treating @ChristianSelig is absolutely disgusting. Shame on Reddit [image]
@snazzylabs @snazzylabs on x
the ceo of reddit is an actual dumb little piggy boy [image]
@rsgnl Joe Rossignol on x
“I acknowledge it was a tight timeline.” This is such a lame answer. How about, you know, extending the timeline (at the very minimum) instead of doubling down on terrible decision making? No, it's just like “I acknowledge it's shitty, but too bad.”
r/reddit spez on reddit
Addressing the community about changes to our API
r/dankchristianmemes r on reddit
[DISCUSSION] Reddit CEO doubles down on attack on Apollo developer in drama-filled AMA
r/technology r on reddit
Reddit CEO Steve Huffman defends API changes in AMA
r/facepalm r on reddit
Everything about this “AMA”

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