Reddit Battles Moderators Marking Their Communities NSFW

Reddit finds itself in the midst of a tumultuous conflict with its moderators over their rebellious acts to make their respective communities Not Safe For Work (NSFW) a form of protest. This battle between Reddit and its moderators revolves around recent API changes made by the company, sparking a series of controversial events.

The moderators' protest began with their communities going NSFW, resulting in the loosening of content rules and a direct impact on Reddit's ad revenue. This is due to the social network's policy implemented in April 2019, which prohibits ads on NSFW subreddits. The moderators' ultimate aim is to force the company to reconsider its recent API changes and comply with their demands. However, Reddit is taking action against these rebellious moderators by removing them from their positions and demanding they revert their subreddits back to Safe For Work (SFW) status.

As reported by The Verge, several subreddits, such as r/formula1, r/HomeKit, and r/HomePod, had their NSFW labels activated earlier this week. Reddit administrators swiftly intervened, urging the moderators to switch their communities back to SFW status. Other major subreddits, such as r/interstingasfuck, r/midlyinteresting, and r/TIHI (Thanks, I Hate It), have also included NSFW tags. Reddit briefly removed the r/midlyinteresting moderators but reinstated them when the subreddit returned to SFW status. The other two communities currently remain archived as their moderators were removed.

Reddit's admin account, u/ModCodeofConduct, provided a statement on the issue, highlighting that such drastic status changes in communities are deemed inappropriate and unacceptable. The statement emphasized that users subscribe to communities based on their initial content and that Reddit recognizes the need for gradual changes as communities grow. However, the current situation does not reflect the best interests of users exposed to the protestors' content. In spite of this, some subreddits, including r/birthcontrol, r/perfectlycutscreams, r/gameofthrones, and r/applehelp, currently retain NSFW status. In spite of this, some subreddits, including r/birthcontrol, r/perfectlycutscreams, r/gameofthrones, and r/applehelp.

In conclusion, Reddit and its moderators are locked in a power struggle over recent API changes and the resulting protests. As moderators attempt to influence the company's ad revenue by marking their communities NSFW, Reddit is stepping in to remove these rebellious moderators and restore SFW status. With thousands of subreddits still private or restricted, it remains to be seen whether a resolution to this conflict will be reached any time soon.