is a elder newsman covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 following nearly two years at Techmeme.
Reddit is additional limiting who can use the “Old Reddit” cognition as part of its efforts to combat abrasion and automated traffic. Reddit lately started forcing users to log in to be capable to use Old Reddit, but in the “next few months,” the business says that you’ll have to be logged in and have used Old Reddit in the six months from whenever the alter rolls out to be capable to continue browsing the phase alongside the traditional experience.
Reddit says the six-month opening covers “the huge bulk of all Old Reddit users.” The notice didn’t go into detail, but it’s plainly aimed at blocking not fair new document innovation for bots, but additionally any bots that power admission unused or abandoned accounts. As part of the changes, Reddit volition halt supporting RSS feeds on November 13th since RSS is “now a average exterior for large-scale abrasion and automated abuse,” and suggested replacements akin Discord Relay for moderation help.
Reddit:
If you use RSS for feeds exterior of a community you moderate, there is no replacement. We cognize RSS has been a cherished part of the open web for a lengthy time, and we’re grateful to everyone who used it to remain connected to Reddit.
The business has been waging war against unsanctioned admission to its data for several time, including blocking the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine to forestall AI scraping, suing Anthropic complete alleged unauthorized bot access, and striking deals alongside Google and OpenAI to use Reddit data for training. Reddit knows that Old Reddit is cherished by many users, and in May of 2025, CEO Steve Huffman stated the company would “keep it online as lengthy as group are using it.” But in August, Huffman said that Reddit had gotten to a item anywhere “we need to create several changes” since the cognition was being used by “everyone who spams, scrapes, or does item bad on Reddit.”
In its notice today, Reddit stated that the latest login necessity for Old Reddit “helped decrease abrasion and automated abuse” but “still allowed any logged-in document to admission Old Reddit, including accounts alongside no previous Old Reddit use.” Logged-in moderators, however, volition motionless be capable to use Old Reddit without a latest use requirement.
Reddit additionally shared updates for the previously-announced transition moving apps and bots that use Reddit’s community data API to the company’s Developer Platform. Reddit volition commencement removing API admission for users that haven’t registered their apps by January 12th, and all remaining community API admission “will end in March 2027.”
Follow topics and authors from this narrative to see additional akin this in your personalized homepage nourish and to obtain email updates.
