Reddit posts will not be archived on Wayback Machine: Here's what it means

Reddit is restricting the Wayback Machine to archiving only its homepage, blocking access to posts, comments, and profiles to prevent AI firms from scraping data

Reddit has reportedly begun blocking the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine from indexing much of its content to prevent AI firms from harvesting user data. According to The Verge, this move restricts archival access to Reddit’s homepage only, removing the ability to crawl individual posts, comments, and user profiles — effectively limiting archival visibility to top trending content.

What’s changing

As reported by The Verge, Reddit spokesperson Tim Rathschmidt confirmed that this restriction is triggered by AI companies violating platform rules, using the archive to “scrape data from the Wayback Machine.”

 

The platform’s statement emphasises, “Until they’re able to defend their site and comply with platform policies (e.g., respecting user privacy, re: deleting removed content), we’re limiting some of their access to Reddit data to protect redditors.” These changes are now being implemented, with Reddit notifying the Internet Archive ahead of time to ensure a smoother transition.

 

Why it matters

According to The Verge, the Wayback Machine will now only archive Reddit’s homepage — meaning users, researchers, or journalists will lose access to historical snapshots of discussions, deleted posts, and individual profiles.

 

This significantly reduces the publicly available Reddit archive, potentially impacting investigative work, content verification, and online historical records.

Broader context

Reddit’s action follows a pattern of tightening control over its data. Previously, it monetised search and AI training access through partnerships with Google and OpenAI, redesigned its APIs to limit unauthorised use, and even sued other AI firms, like Anthropic, for continued scraping despite commitments to stop.

 

The Verge quoted Mark Graham, director of the Wayback Machine, as saying: “We have a longstanding relationship with Reddit and continue to have ongoing discussions about this matter.”