Reddit CEO Steve Huffman Defends API Changes That Force Many Apps to Shut Down

Urian B., Tech Times 10 June 2023, 12:06 am

Reddit recently introduced a major change to its API policy, which resulted in many third-party apps saying they would be forced to shut down.

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman Defends the Company's Decision Regarding APIs

Engadget described the API changes on Reddit as "deeply unpopular." It forced some of the most-used third-party Reddit apps to decide to shut down. Reddit CEO Steve Huffman defended the company's decision in a recent AMA (Ask Me Anything) discussion.

During the AMA, Huffman promised to improve Reddit's own app, including the platform's moderation tools and accessibility features. However, he reportedly seemed unwilling to make adjustments on pricing and other issues that have annoyed the community.

In his AMA post on Reddit, Huffman said he had been the CEO of the platform since 2015. He then talked about the frustration "happening within the community" that stemmed from the change to its API access.

He noted that Reddit changed the pricing structure for some third-party apps using its API as the platform "needs to be a self-sustaining business."

"And to do that, we can no longer subsidize commercial entities that require large-scale data use," Huffman explained.

Steve Huffman Says Third-Party Reddit Apps Would No Longer Be Able to Show Sexually Explicit Content

While the old reddit.com would not go anywhere, Steve Huffman said third-party Reddit apps would have limited access to sexually explicit content beginning in July.

"Effective July 5, 2023, we will limit access to mature content via our Data API as part of an ongoing effort to provide guardrails to how explicit content and communities on Reddit are discovered and viewed," Huffman noted.

"This change will not impact any moderator bots or extensions. In our conversations with moderators and developers, we heard two areas of feedback we plan to address," he added.

Apps Like Apollo, Sync, and Reddit is Fun Are Closing Due to New Pricing

Apollo, one of the most beloved iOS apps used to browse Reddit, is shutting down later this month due to the company's new API pricing.

Starting June 30, reddit users or Redditors can no longer use Apollo since it will shut down on this day. However, the popular third-party Reddit app is not alone.

The rif is fun for Reddit (previously Reddit is Fun), ReddPlanet, and Sync also announced Thursday that they would also be shutting down on June 30.

Reddit CEO to Give Developers 30 Days to Adjust to New API Standards

Steve Huffman acknowledged in a response that their decision to give developers just 30 days to adjust to the new API standards was a "tight timeline." The CEO then said they have continued talking to multiple developers wanting to work with them.

However, one developer said he did not receive any response from the company as he tried to reach out to Reddit through its promoted channels. The developer said he had been trying to contact Reddit over the past three months but was "completely ignored."

Developer Says They Want to Save the App They've Worked on For the Last 10 Years

The developer shared how he felt "completely powerless to do anything right now." The developer said he wanted to save an app he had been "working on for the last 10 years."

Steve Huffman saw the developer's comment and apologized, saying the company would respond to the developer.