Reddit will block the Internet Archive

https://www.theverge.com/news/757538/reddit-internet-archive-wayback-machine-block-limit

Posted by BendicantMias

6 comments

  1. >It seems likely that Reddit is financially motivated to restrict AI firms from taking advantage of Wayback Machine archives, perhaps hoping to spur more lucrative licensing deals like Reddit struck with [OpenAI](https://arstechnica.com/ai/2024/05/openai-will-use-reddit-posts-to-train-chatgpt-under-new-deal/) and [Google.](https://arstechnica.com/ai/2024/02/reddit-has-already-booked-203m-in-revenue-licensing-data-for-ai-training/) The terms of the OpenAI deal were kept quiet, but the Google deal was [reportedly](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-16/reddit-is-said-to-sign-ai-content-licensing-deal-ahead-of-ipo?sref=10lNAhZ9) worth $60 million. Over the next three years, Reddit expects to make [more than $200 million](https://arstechnica.com/ai/2024/02/reddit-has-already-booked-203m-in-revenue-licensing-data-for-ai-training/) off such licensing deals.

    – [https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/08/reddit-blocks-internet-archive-to-end-sneaky-ai-scraping/](https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/08/reddit-blocks-internet-archive-to-end-sneaky-ai-scraping/)

  2. *sees headline* “Sweet, Reddit taking a stand against AI.”

    *finishes article* “Of course it’s just so they can sell the content to the AI people later.”

  3. So Reddit’s blocking the Internet Archive… not because they care about preservation or ethics, but because they want to corner the AI licensing market. It’s like watching a library burn while someone sells the ashes to OpenAI.

  4. Meanwhile the entirety of Reddit has already been scanned by the the big players. Reddit blocking off scanners only works to prevent new players from entering the game

  5. Fuck chatgpt agents are going to make Reddit nothing but AI arguing with each other while capitalists insist it reflects pubic opinion. Its value here is going to take an enormous hit more quickly than they think.

  6. > Until they’re able to defend their site and comply with platform policies (e.g., respecting user privacy, re: deleting removed content)

    not deleting removed content is kinda the point of an archive

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