Why I Joined the Reddit Blackout Protest

I’ve been a Reddit user for more than 8 years daily. Apollo (one of the Reddit clients at the issue's core) is the most used app on all my mobile devices. It is not only my preferred way to consume Reddit content, but it also is carefully woven into many of my workflows. I depend on it, and the app's author has risen to the occasion by creating one of the best iOS apps in the world.

Reddit is focused on the Benjamins and NOT the users/creators/moderators that built their business.

For those not in on the reasons for the protest, the basics boil down to Reddit raising the price for API use that third-party apps depend on to a significant cost. This raise, part of Reddit’s focus on an IPO, essentially kills all third-party clients and forces users to use the Reddit client or their web interface instead; both are loaded with ads and tracking mechanisms that damage user privacy. In addition, the Reddit-built app and web interfaces lack significant tools needed by moderators and users with different forms of visual disabilities. You can read more about both sides by searching “Reddit blackout protest 2023”.

Why Did I Join the Protest?

I joined the protest because I support Apollo and the other third-party developers who have worked very hard over the years and staked their livelihood on Reddit. Personally, I also really love Apollo, and if I am forced to use the Reddit client and suffer the ads and privacy issues, I will stop…