Thousands of subreddits plan to go dark over API changes in Reddit

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More than 100 subreddits have gone dark and thousands more plan to do so in the wake of upcoming application programming interface (API) changes at the social discussion platform Reddit.

According to Reddark, which is tracking the Reddit protests, the protests are happening over API changes that will force many third-party apps, like Apollo, to shut down.

Earlier, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman hosted an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session to discuss the platform's controversial API changes, confirming that Reddit is not planning to revive its coming API pricing changes that have caused multiple developers to announce they will be shutting down their apps.

In the session, Huffman continued his accusations against Apollo, calling out the developer, Christian Selig's (the developer of the Apollo app), "behaviour and communications" as being "all over the place" and saying he couldn't see Reddit working with the developer further, TechCrunch reported.

Selig was among the first to point out that Reddit's new API pricing would effectively make it impossible to continue running the Apollo app, explaining that doing so would cost him $20 million per year -- money the app doesn't make.

Other third-party apps, such as Sync, RIF, and Reddplant, are also closing down.

Since the AMA, some subreddits have escalated their response.

Meanwhile, Reddit is laying off at least 90 employees and reducing fresh hiring as part of restructuring plans to cut costs.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the layoffs will impact five per cent of the company's 2,000-strong workforce.

--IANS

na/