Reddit to require logins to view content as search traffic falls
Social platform Reddit will move toward a model where only logged-in users can view content, starting with tests in select markets outside the US. The company says search traffic has declined significantly.
Reddit, the social network and discussion platform, will stop letting logged-out users and people without an account view its content, CEO Steve Huffman has announced. The change will first be tested in "select markets" outside the United States. Until now, much of the content has been viewable without signing in.
Huffman made the announcement in a letter to shareholders. The company says search traffic to the platform has dropped significantly. Retaining new audiences, he wrote, depends in large part on shifting Reddit to an experience that requires an account, which he said would give users the best experience and help them find the content and communities most relevant to them.
The company's reasoning
Huffman acknowledged this is a big change but called it necessary. He gave several reasons: logged-in users provide more signals for ad targeting, and being logged in generally leads to higher engagement. He added that it would also protect access to what the company describes as Reddit's extremely valuable body of data, and help it adapt to emerging regulations around the world.
Context
Engadget describes the move as the company's most dramatic shift yet in its fight against AI scraping and changes to internet search. The outlet also says it will likely upset some users, a number of whom are already frustrated by recent decisions such as restrictions on Old Reddit, the older version of the site.
The report is still developing, and the source does not name the specific markets or give a rollout timeline.
