Technology
Reddit announces shift to a primarily logged-in experience
CEO Steve Huffman says the change aims to improve user experience, bolster ads and curb bot scraping, with tests outside the U.S. in Q4.
The short version
- Reddit announced it is moving to a primarily logged-in experience.[9to5Google · 9to5Mac]
- CEO Steve Huffman said the change aims to improve user experience, bolster advertising, and block bot scraping.[9to5Mac]
- Testing begins in Q4 in select markets outside the U.S., with results to inform a global version.[9to5Google]
- Reddit reported search referrals fell by more than 1 million per week on average in October.[TechCrunch]
Key facts
- Reddit announced a move to a primarily logged-in experience.[9to5Google · 9to5Mac]
- CEO Steve Huffman said the change aims to improve user experience, bolster advertising, and prevent bots from scraping proprietary data.[9to5Mac]
- Testing will begin in Q4 in select markets outside the U.S., with results informing a global version.[9to5Google]
- Reddit reported that search traffic referrals dropped by more than 1 million per week on average in October.[TechCrunch]
- Reddit reported Q3 revenue rose 53% year over year to $895 million.[TechCrunch]
- U.S. daily active users fell from 53.2 million in Q2 to 50.7 million in Q3.[TechCrunch]
What remains uncertain
- Reddit has not confirmed a timeline for a global rollout, and the scope of content available to logged-out users remains unclear.[TechCrunch · 9to5Google]
- Reddit warned daily active users could fall to a low-double-digit percentage next quarter if the referral decline continues; this is a conditional projection.[TechCrunch]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.