Over 6,000 subreddits have gone dark in protest following Reddit's upcoming changes to its application programming interface (API) pricing. This includes popular communities such as r/funny, r/aww, r/gaming, r/music, and r/science, which are now inaccessible even to previously subscribed users.
According to TheVerge, the protest involves many subreddits going private for 48 hours from June 12 to June 14, while some intend to remain private until the desired changes are implemented. The community at r/Toptomcat expressed its concerns, stating that the change would hinder their ability to continue their activities.
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Christian Selig, the developer of the Apollo app, initially brought attention to the API pricing changes and expressed his awe at the unity displayed by the Reddit community in response. Selig expressed his hope that Reddit would listen to the concerns raised. In a post on the Apollo subreddit, he called for an acknowledgment of mishandling the process and concrete promises to provide developers with more time, which would instill confidence within the community.
Reddit CEO Steve Huffman addressed the controversy during an AMA session last week. He confirmed that the platform has no plans to proceed with the API pricing changes that led several developers to announce the closure of their apps. Huffman criticized Selig's behavior and communication as being inconsistent.
In the session, Huffman continued his accusations against Selig's "behavior and communications" as being "all over the place" and saying he couldn't see Reddit working with the developer further, TechCrunch reported.
While the subreddits' blackout is a temporary measure, it serves as a collective message to Reddit to reevaluate and address the concerns raised.
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Inputs from IANS
