Reddit to Bring Better Accessibility to Moderator Tools in the App Amidst Third-Party Apps Shut Down

Isaiah Richard, Tech Times 25 June 2023, 11:06 pm

Amidst the changes on Reddit come several improvements to make the operations for moderators easier, particularly with "accessibility upgrades" coming soon. These moderator tools will be more helpful to mods who manage communities or subreddits on the platform, especially as one of the most significant changes in Reddit is causing some developers to pull out.

Come the end of June, multiple third-party apps are pulling out of Reddit and shutting down their services, centering on the new API policy that would charge developers astronomical prices.

Reddit to Bring Better Accessibility to Moderator Tools Available

(Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
SAN ANSELMO, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 16: In this photo illustration, The Reddit logo is displayed on a computer screen on December 16, 2021 in San Anselmo, California.

The Director of Product at Reddit, u/joyventure, has announced the upcoming "accessibility upgrades" that moderators would be able to utilize in their management of subreddits come July 1. More specifically, these changes would arrive on Reddit's mobile app platforms to help the mods with their operations amidst the chaos on the platform.

The July 1 changes are strategic for Reddit, as this is also the time when different third-party app providers would shut down their services for those using their developments.

Reddit would bring new tools for moderators to utilize in their supervision of specific subreddits, particularly for those heavily relying on third-party apps.

Third-Party Apps Shut Down Affecting Mods?

It was regarded via the release that these upgrades are intended for those who use "assistive tech," a.k.a. the third-party apps, who may soon find hardships in their content moderation once they shut down.

Reddit's API changes led one thing to another, and these new tools will provide assistance and help to moderators who are reliant on third-party apps, with the company anticipating its effects once the month ends.

Reddit API Changes

Many third-party apps are suffering from the significant changes in Reddit's API, and this led to the shutdown of many trusted names that offer their services to subreddits and moderators. One of the most popular apps that bring its services to Reddit, Apollo, was announced this earlier this month, with the developer claiming that it would no longer be accessible after June.

This began the massive protests on Reddit, with users and moderators joining together to go on a blackout on their respective subreddits. Its blackout led to Reddit seeing an outage due to the inactivity in the platform and many communities going dark, with some committing to 48 hours to the cause, and others saying they will remain like this indefinitely.

Reddit's CEO defended the company's decision to change its API, and while it may seem unfair to the third-party developers, its leader claimed that it is for the growth of the company. With most third-party apps shutting down soon, Reddit's move is to provide better accessible tools that will replace what helped the moderators all this time, before their massive changes to the social networking platform.