Reddit wants to put almost all content behind a login
The platform is testing a mandatory account for readers after referrals from search engines fell sharply.
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Reddit wants to move towards a version of the platform that requires users to log in for almost all content. Chief executive Steve Huffman says Reddit will initially test the measure in several markets outside the United States.
The change was announced on Thursday during a discussion of Reddit's quarterly results. According to the company, the aims include retaining users more effectively, combating bots and data collection, and gaining greater insight into how the platform is used.
Reddit says the number of referrals from search engines fell by more than one million per week on average in October. Chief executive Steve Huffman links this to search services increasingly displaying answers directly, including through artificial intelligence. As a result, users would be less likely to click through to Reddit.
The mandatory login will be tested in the fourth quarter in selected markets outside the United States. Reddit has yet to decide which content will remain available to visitors who are not logged in. A global model has therefore not yet been finalised.
The measure could affect people who use Reddit as a public source without wanting to create an account themselves. This includes readers who find a discussion, user experience or technical solution through a search engine, for example. According to the current announcement, the main change for existing users concerns access for people browsing while logged out.
The announced tests concern access for visitors who are not logged in. It is not yet known what the tests specifically mean for Old Reddit and external apps that use the application programming interface.
The discussion also touches on how AI companies collect public internet information. According to Reddit, one of the aims of the change is to combat bots and data collection. The company says commercial agreements contain conditions intended to protect users and Reddit.
In the third quarter, Reddit reported revenue of 895 million dollars and a net profit of 283 million dollars. The company also reported growth in daily usage, but warned that the number of daily unique visitors could fall in the fourth quarter if the decline in search traffic continues.
The precise consequences for visitors from the Netherlands are not yet known. The international tests must first establish how much content remains visible without an account and whether the measure affects usage, advertising revenue and the discoverability of Reddit discussions.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Reddit wants to expand mandatory login requirements.
- The company says search traffic and referrals from search engines have fallen.
- The measure will initially be tested outside the US.
- Reddit earns money from advertising and licences for its data.
Left
Arguments An increasingly closed-off internet makes public knowledge less accessible and increases the power of large platform companies. Users should not be forced to create an account in order to read public discussions.
Values Accessibility, privacy and protecting users from commercial concentrations of power.
Consequences A login wall could particularly exclude people who do not want or are unable to use an account, and make independent scrutiny more difficult.
Centre
Arguments Reddit is entitled to protect its service and data, but must be transparent about which content remains accessible and which data requires an account. A phased test with clear safeguards is defensible.
Values Balancing the company's interests, user convenience and public access to information.
Consequences Clear rules and limited data collection could reduce the harm to casual visitors without completely blocking the business model.
Right
Arguments A commercial platform should be able to decide for itself how to combat bots, scraping and abuse. Users who find the service valuable can create an account for that purpose; the government should remain cautious.
Values Ownership, freedom of contract and room for entrepreneurship.
Consequences Greater control over access and data could help Reddit invest in security and services, but could also reduce traffic and competition.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
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The announcement, the stated test outside the US and the financial figures can be found directly in Reuters and Ars Technica. Uncertain elements have been described as uncertain.
- confirmed Reddit wants to move towards an experience in which users must log in for almost all content. — According to Ars Technica and Reuters, the chief executive confirmed a shift towards a logged-in experience. source
- confirmed Reddit is testing the measure in the fourth quarter in selected markets outside the US. — Ars Technica mentions tests in selected non-American markets. source
- confirmed The number of referrals from search engines fell by more than one million per week on average in October. — This figure was cited by Huffman and reported by Reuters. source
- confirmed Reddit reported revenue of 895 million dollars and a net profit of 283 million dollars in the third quarter. — Ars Technica gives both figures. source
Editor's note
It is certain that Reddit wants to test a login requirement and that search traffic has fallen. The final global form, the consequences for users in the Netherlands and the precise role of AI search services remain uncertain.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- de Volkskrant — „reddit inloggen”
- NOS — „reddit inloggen”
- Het Parool — „reddit inloggen”