- Multiple subreddits will go dark on June 12 during a massive Reddit protest.
- The protest is in response to planned API changes that could result in the death of all third-party apps.
- Android Authority has reached out to Reddit for comment.
Last week, we heard from a prominent third-party Reddit app developer that some upcoming site changes would essentially kill off all third-party apps. In brief, Reddit will start charging developers for access to data APIs, which have been free until now. However, the amount of money Reddit will charge is allegedly so high that almost all third-party apps would instantly become unsustainable.
The Reddit community is not happy with this, to put it mildly. Over the weekend, momentum began towards a sitewide Reddit protest. Now, there is a plan of action: starting June 12, prominent subreddits will go dark in protest of the API changes. Most subreddits involved in the protest will plan to be dark for 48 hours. However, some smaller subreddits plan to go dark indefinitely until the planned API access changes are dropped or altered satisfactorily to keep third-party apps alive.