Reddit Restricts Old Reddit Access to Curb AI Scraping
Developing story first seen 56 minutes ago
Reddit is tightening access to Old Reddit: once the change rolls out in the next few months, users will need to be logged in and to have used the classic interface within the previous six months. The company says the rule is intended to curb scraping and automated abuse, which it says the existing login requirement reduced but did not stop.
Reddit says the six-month window covers the vast majority of Old Reddit users; logged-in moderators will be exempt from the recent-use requirement. RSS feeds will stop working on 13 November, with no replacement for feeds outside communities users moderate. Reddit also plans to remove API access from unregistered apps from 12 January 2027, ending all remaining access to its public API in March 2027.
- Old Reddit will require recent use as well as a login.
- Reddit says the restrictions aim to curb scraping and automated abuse.
- RSS ends in November; public API access ends in March 2027.
New here? Start with this
Old Reddit is the classic interface that Reddit operated before redesigning its site in recent years. Some users, particularly long-time members and those managing communities, prefer the older layout and have continued using it as an alternative to the main site. The two versions have coexisted, allowing people to choose which interface they preferred when visiting Reddit.
Reddit says automated programmes and artificial intelligence systems have been downloading data from the site. Currently, these programmes can access Old Reddit if users are logged in, but the company argues this does not sufficiently stop the downloading. The new restrictions are intended to make automatic data collection substantially harder by requiring users to prove they regularly use the service.
The change is part of a broader effort by Reddit to control access to its content. The company is also eliminating its public data feeds next year and ending support for RSS, the technology that lets readers subscribe to updates without visiting websites directly. Together, these moves will significantly reshape how external services and researchers can interact with Reddit's information.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Reddit has a legitimate interest in protecting its platform and content from large-scale automated exploitation. Scraping at the scale described represents significant technical costs and enables companies to capture value that Reddit's users and investors created. The restrictions target genuine abuse rather than casual use, with exemptions for moderators and the six-month window covering nearly all legitimate users. Authorising unauthorised access to train competing AI systems or to bypass revenue models is commercially unsustainable, and Reddit's decision to restrict it reflects reasonable stewardship of its own platform.
The case against
The restrictions harm legitimate use cases—researchers, accessibility tools, third-party applications that often excel at moderation, and RSS readers that impose no load on Reddit's infrastructure. The six-month window will break workflows for inactive users and disproportionately affects those with accessibility needs. Removing RSS feeds removes an open standard that enabled non-commercial consumption. Public data on the internet has historically been treated as fair game for research and interoperability, and blanket restrictions punish all users and developers for the actions of a few bad actors, forcing everyone onto Reddit's official platform and under its commercial terms.
Coverage
- Engadget — Reddit will limit Old Reddit access to recent users amid scraping concerns
- The Verge — Reddit to restrict Old Reddit access and end RSS feeds amid scraping concerns