Reddit Communities Seek Privacy, NSFW Controls

Reddit experienced significant changes last year as many subreddits transitioned from public to private or NSFW in protest of Reddit’s API changes

This shift impacted advertising on the site, prompting Reddit to introduce new rules. Moderators will now need to request permission to change the community type to public, secret, SFW (Safe for Work), or NSFW, aiming to prevent such alterations in the future.

These changes from Reddit will take effect immediately and primarily affect larger communities. The company clarified that requests to change community types will be approved immediately for communities less than 30 days old or with fewer than 5,000 members. For larger groups, an admin will respond to requests within 24 hours. Reddit assured users it has sufficient staff to handle these requests around the clock throughout the year.

Additionally, Reddit allows subreddit managers to temporarily restrict posting and commenting for up to seven days without prior approval to prevent abuse. However, moderators must formally request any permanent changes of this nature.

According to Reddit on r/modnews, this update aims to maintain smooth platform operations and ensure adherence to community rules. The company emphasized that the intent is not to hinder protest actions.

Reddit also consulted with the Mod Council and over 100 moderators from various subreddits to gather feedback and support for these changes.