Reddit threatens to remove mod teams as Apollo-related blackout continues

The Reddit blackout saga continues as some subreddits continue to protest Reddit's plans to charge high prices for its API. In response, Reddit has informed the moderators of those subreddits that it has plans to replace resistant moderation teams to keep spaces “open and accessible to users.”

In a post, Reddit stated that “Mods have a right to take a break from moderating, or decide that you don’t want to be a mod anymore”, but that they “have policies and processes in place that address inactive moderation (Rule 4), mods vandalizing communities (Rule 2), and subreddit squatters (also Rule 4)”. They added that “When rules like these are broken, we remove the mods in violation of the Moderator Code of Conduct, and add new, active mods to the subreddits.”

However, some Reddit mods have replied that this contradicts standing policies, that state that moderators are “free to run their communities as they choose, as long as they don’t break the rules outlined in Reddit’s Content Policy or Moderator Code of Conduct”.

Reddit has confirmed that the blackouts have made no change to Reddit's API pricing plan, and they've also published a blog post with “key facts” about the API updates, that stated that “Dissent, debate, and discussions are foundational parts of Reddit. We respect our communities’ ability to protest as long as mods follow our Moderator Code of Conduct.”

The ongoing blackout has caused concern among Reddit users, who worry that the platform's policies are becoming more restrictive. It remains to be seen how Reddit will respond to the ongoing protests, and whether they will make any changes to their API pricing plan.