***This post is following on from yesterdays Poll asking if the sub should join in the protest against Reddits API changes that are soon to be implemented. After 24 hours of the poll running on the sub, there is overwhelming support (over 80%) for a sub blackout from the 12th to the 14th June. In light of this result, this sub will not be available to post or to view content (i.e. go private) from June 12th to 14th.***

***More action may follow on from this – please read below for a more detailed explanation of why this is happening and there’s a good*** [infographic](https://i.redd.it/zqptto18e34b1.jpg) ***that*** r/videos ***created explaining why this action is happening across Reddit subs.***

​

**What’s going on?**

A recent Reddit policy change threatens to kill many beloved third-party mobile apps, making a great many quality-of-life features not seen in the official mobile app permanently inaccessible to users.

On May 31, 2023, Reddit announced they were raising the price to make calls to their API from being free to a level that will kill every third party app on Reddit, from Apollo to Reddit is Fun to Narwhal to BaconReader.

Even if you’re not a mobile user and don’t use any of those apps, this is a step toward killing other ways of customizing Reddit, such as Reddit Enhancement Suite or the use of the old.reddit.com desktop interface .

This isn’t only a problem on the user level: many subreddit moderators depend on tools only available outside the official app to keep their communities on-topic and spam-free.

**What’s the plan?**

On June 12th, many subreddits will be going dark to protest this policy. Some will return after 48 hours: others will go away permanently unless the issue is adequately addressed, since many moderators aren’t able to put in the work they do with the poor tools available through the official app. This isn’t something any of us do lightly: we do what we do because we love Reddit, and we truly believe this change will make it impossible to keep doing what we love.

The two-day blackout isn’t the goal, and it isn’t the end. Should things reach the 14th with no sign of Reddit choosing to fix what they’ve broken, we’ll use the community and buzz we’ve built between then and now as a tool for further action.

**What can you do as a user?**

Complain. Message the mods of [r/reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/reddit/).com, who are the admins of the site: message [/u/reddit](https://www.reddit.com/u/reddit/): submit a support request: comment in relevant threads on [r/reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/reddit/), such as this one, leave a negative review on their official iOS or Android app- and sign your username in support to this post.

Spread the word. Rabble-rouse on related subreddits. Meme it up, make it spicy. Bitch about it to your cat. Suggest anyone you know who moderates a subreddit join the coordinated mod effort at [r/ModCoord](https://www.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/).

Boycott and spread the word…to Reddit’s competition! Stay off Reddit entirely on June 12th through the 13th- instead, take to your favorite non-Reddit platform of choice and make some noise in support!

Don’t be a jerk. As upsetting this may be, threats, profanity and vandalism will be worse than useless in getting people on our side. Please make every effort to be as restrained, polite, reasonable and law-abiding as possible.

**What can you do as a moderator?**

Join the coordinated effort over at [r/ModCoord](https://www.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/)

Make a sticky post showing your support, A template has been created here you can use or modify to your liking, and be sure to crosspost it to [r/ModCoord](https://www.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/).

Thank you for your patience in the matter,

\-Mod Team

41 comments

  2. I use Reddit Is Fun, RES and old.reddit so I’d be behind this anyway

    The main reason to be behind this is how it dicks over the mods who run subs for free though.

    Fair play, it’ll be missed but we’ll get over it for two days

  3. It should be indefinite, like /r/Music and some others are doing. 2 days is a blip, all their communities fucking off forever makes them take notice.

  4. Good. I’ve used rif for donkeys years. When I went to the official app, or the desktop version, I found them so hard to navigate. Probably wouldn’t bother with reddit if I couldn’t use rif

  6. A lot of people are unaware of 3rd party apps and just happily browse reddit using official channels. They possibly won’t see this as anything very significant. Some people I know just browse without even an account.

    But the mods, power users and content generators, the people who comment on everything and fact check submissions, they generally prefer a custom experience where they have access to the tools they need. Without them, the site is nothing.

  7. I don’t understand this, is there a reasonable explanation to why reddit is going dark? I’m using the original app since I created the account… What’s happening? Will I not be able to use my app?

  11. Honestly, two days is not nearly enough but most people would be annoyed if it went dark for a week or a month.

    I know some will say Reddit jumped the shark years ago, but this really seems like their digg moment where people will move on to other things.

    The mods should be pushing for more though. They are basically just unpaid workers running this site and the admins are laughing at their hard work, all the way to the bank and no mods are going to get a cut of the money Reddit makes off this third party nonsense.

  12. What if the weather is good and I need to moan about the rubbish bins overflowing where’ll I go? Twitter API is on its arse too. Lads the internets bollixed altogether.

  16. I voted yes but I’m also kinda worried that if it isn’t resolved quickly it will do lasting damage. Boards suffered a lot of long term damage from users leaving when it was offline for some days in a row during the server move.

    Most subreddits/forums are more than 50% recycled or repeated content, be they complaints, questions or photos, and once you get used to being away you don’t miss it all that much

  17. 2 days is nothing and will accomplish nothing. At its core reddit is just fantastic convenience… I can go back to boards.ie for irish content and forums for anything else i need. Reddit needs to be shown that if they fuck with stuff like this they are gone. It’d be insane if after all this time they pull a Digg but im happy to let them do it if they’re going to fuck around.

  21. Unfortunately after that everything will go back to how it is, like nothing happened. The place is being sterilised and locked down to make it IPO friendly. i.e. destroying the very things that made it popular to begin with. It’s like they learned nothing from the [Digg.com](https://Digg.com) shitshow.

    Sad day.

  22. Jesus Christ I love Reddit so much. Why the fuck do they have to IPO? Now capitalism will have its way with it and it’ll become progressively worse and worse in the effort for more profit. I really hope this app doesn’t become obsolete because it’s incredibly useful.

  23. What time of the day are we flicking the switch? …cause if it’s midnight, I might have to close mine earlier

  31. One out, all out, comrade. I hope the same level of support is given to something that is actually useful in your lives. I speak of the proposed Local Authority industrial action planned for June 21/22.

  34. 48 hours isn’t a protest. A protest with a convenient end time isn’t a protest. The suits will just take two extra days to play golf on the super yacht until it is over.

  36. Doesn’t seem much of a protest to me… I assume that 48 hours is not going to do much harm to Huffman & Co.

    Is there a plan B if the 48 hour blackout doesn’t work?

  37. Adding my voice to the rest, keep the sub private *until* Reddit agrees to scrap these changes, two days is not likely to make much of a difference.

  39. Aye that’s not going to do anything shut down for two, three weeks.

    That might, have an effect then.

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