Reddit may ask you to verify if you are human, bots to be labelled: Details

Reddit is updating its platform with bot labelling and limited human verification prompts, while continuing to focus on user anonymity

Reddit has announced new measures focused on identifying bots and confirming human users on its platform, as it responds to increasing AI-driven activity online. Reddit co-founder and CEO Steve Huffman, in a post, said that the company will introduce clear labelling for automated accounts and may require certain users to verify that a human is behind an account, while maintaining that it does not seek users’ real-world identities.

Bot accounts to carry clear labels

As part of the update, Huffman said accounts that use automation in permitted ways will be labelled as “[App]”. The label is intended to make it clear when users are interacting with a non-human account.

 

The company added that developers will be able to register their apps to receive this label. Reddit had also previously introduced verified profiles for brands, publishers and creators, which are labelled to improve transparency.

Selective human verification for suspicious activity

He said that the platform may ask accounts to confirm that a human is behind them if they exhibit automated or otherwise suspicious behaviour. This could include activity linked to automation tools or unusual usage patterns.

 

The company said such verification checks will be applied selectively and will not affect most users. However, accounts that fail to confirm human presence may face restrictions. It also clarified that it is not introducing sitewide human verification or identity verification.

Focus on anonymity and privacy

According to Reddit, verifying that a user is human is different from identifying who they are. Huffman said it does not require or want users’ real-world identities and aims to preserve the anonymity of the platform.

 

For verification, Reddit will rely on privacy-focused approaches, including passkeys and third-party tools that can confirm human presence without linking identity to user accounts. In regions where government ID verification is required, it will implement systems that do not expose user identity to Reddit.

 

As per the post, Reddit will continue removing bot-driven spam and harmful activity, as it already removes an average of 100,000 such accounts per day, often before they are seen by users.

The company also plans to make it easier for users to report suspected automated accounts, while maintaining that its primary focus is to ensure users can distinguish between human and non-human interactions on the platform.