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Moderators on Reddit have shut down their forums in protest of a new policy that charges users for access to the site’s API. The revolt has put Kevin in child care-wisdom-withdrawal (RIP r/daddit) — and left many other users without their favorite subreddits. But does the incident say something more about the future of the internet?
Then, the MrBeast Philanthropic-Industrial Complex.
Plus: Platforms are already fumbling the ball on misinformation.
Today’s guest:
Max Read is a journalist, screenwriter, editor and the owner-operator of Read Max.
Additional information:
Casey examines the Reddit revolt and why the company isn’t backing down on shutting down third-party apps.
Max Read on MrBeast’s rise as a viral philanthropist.
Following the algorithm doesn’t always lead to philanthropy, as Kevin explored in a 2019 article on PewDiePie.
Platforms are backing away from peak trust and safety.
Credits
“Hard Fork” is hosted by Kevin Roose and Casey Newton and produced by Davis Land and Rachel Cohn. The show is edited by Jen Poyant. Engineering by Alyssa Moxley and original music by Dan Powell, Elisheba Ittoop, Marion Lozano, Sophia Lanman and Rowan Niemisto. Fact-checking by Caitlin Love.
Special thanks to Paula Szuchman, Pui-Wing Tam, Nell Gallogly, Kate LoPresti and Jeffrey Miranda.