Reddit Begins Implementing New Rules, Bans Racist Communities
posted Sunday Aug 9, 2015 by Scott Ertz
After the Ellen Pao disaster, Reddit has been working to implement the new policies announced at her resignation. The process has not been a particularly simple one, as backlash from some of the communities on the site has been vocal. Fortunately, those communities have been a small percentage of the overall userbase.
The vocal minority might have something new to complain about soon, however, as the company has altered their policies once again. Now, instead of quarantining offensive communities, such as those that promote racism, they will ban them. While you might immediately look at this as a positive move, let me explain to you the culture of Reddit and why there is likely to be a negative response associated with the decision.
The stated goal of the site is to provide a safe place for the free exchange of ideas. One of the things that comes along with free speech is the likelihood that some people will be offended by said speech. As the site grew, a larger than expected portion of the community became more a place for people to say insane or hurtful things rather than to spread ideas and thoughts. This has left the executives with an interesting dilemma: do they back off of their idea of a true free speech zone, or do they deal with the public outcry about it being a community filled with hate?
Right now, they are trying to find a harmony between the two sides. In removing communities who intention is to take advantage of the free speech zone only to say hurtful, offensive and racist things, they seem to have found a balance they think will keep their users and community positive, while still mostly adhering to the intentions of the site. It will not make everyone happy, but it should not affect those who use the site for the purposes it was originally created to serve.
In addition to offensive content, the management will also take steps to remove what CEO Steve Huffman calls animated child pornography, likely referring to the rising popularity of lolicon or shotacon on Reddit and similar sites. While not technically illegal in the west, many believe that the content leads to the mistreatment of minors in the real world, and sites like Reddit are taking a preemptive stand against the content. It's a pretty smart move as the company does not need any potential legal issues as they are trying to redefine themselves on the Internet.